


Secret-SidGeno-Writer Prompts

by Anonymous



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Nanny, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Athletic Trainer, Crimes & Criminals, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Farmer's Market, Ficlet, First Meeting, First Time, Flirting, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Getting Back Together, Halloween, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, M/M, Magical Realism, Mutual Pining, On the Run, Oral Fixation, Pining, Post-Break Up, Reunion Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Sharing Clothes, Sickfic, Single Parents, Wedding Day, Wingfic, Witch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:40:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 32,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Prompts from my tumblr.





	1. It Reminded Me Of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "It reminded me of you."

Sid frowns down at the paper in front of him and tries to figure out how Miles Sedanski could sit in his classroom and follow along with the lesson that he is teaching and still from an upper case B in cursive look unrecognizable.

Miles sits in the back of the class. Maybe he needs to be moved up front to help him concentrate. Maybe he can’t see the board.

Sid looks up and catches Miles with his pencil poised above his paper looking at Samantha Barrows two rows ahead of him. Sid can almost see the hearts in his eyes from his desk.

That might explain things.

Miles eyes flit over to the doorway and Sid turns his head.

Mr. Malkin is sitting in his desk chair with his hands braced on either side of the door.

Some of Sid’s students start to giggle in anticipation and they’re full on laughing when he pushes himself away from the doorway and sailing across the room, wheels squeaking on the linoleum tiles.

He has too much power behind him and slams into the side of Sid’s desk, jostling it and knocking Sid’s cup full of pencils over.

The kids laugh harder as Mr. Malkin reaches one huge hand out and stops it from rolling off the edge.

“Sorry, Sid,” he says with an apologetic smile that has Sid shaking his head.

Mr. Malkin, _‘can call Geno, is okay,’_ teaches fourth grade directly across the hall from Sid’s third grade classroom.

Sid’s very first day on the job was hectic and overwhelming, he swears eight year olds can smell new blood, and he was on the verge of heading to the bathroom to cry when Geno strolled in and wrangled the kids into some sort of order before sitting on the edge of Sid’s desk and dropping his voice to a whisper.

“Sorry for interrupt,” he said. “Could hear kids from across the hall. You new. Thought maybe you need help.”

Sid had his eyes shut and was working on getting his bottom lip to stop quivering when Geno put his hand on his shoulder.

“First days hard for everyone. Is okay.”

“Thank you,” Sid had said, voice small and broken and when he looked up Geno’s eyes were warm and looking into his own. “Thanks.”

“I cried in front of kids during my first day,” Geno admitted.

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. Right in the middle of my classroom. Could only get better after that. Only gets better from here.”

“So it’ll never get worse than this?”

Geno shakes his head then shrugs his shoulders. “Parent-teacher conferences not so great but kids will get better. Promise. Just keep head up. Right across the hall if you need me.”

Sid nodded and looked out over his students. Every single one of them was quietly reading on their own. “Okay. Thank you, seriously.”

“No problem, Sid. I get these kids next year. Important they behave for you so they behave for me. Very important we work together.” He winked at Sid as he stood up then waved at the kids before he left the room and Sid’s very first crush on a coworker was born.

He’s done nothing about it and has convinced himself that he was over it a dozen or so times over the years but then they’ll exchange a look of sympathy or amusement across the hall from their desks and Sid’s heart overrides his head.

The kids are still laughing when Geno rights the cup and straightens out the pencils.

He rests his sharp elbows on the surface of Sid’s desk, right over the papers he needs to grade and rests his chin in his palm.

“You have print out of bus schedule for this week? Delete email by accident.”

“Of course you did,” Sid says dryly but he opens the email on his laptop and the printer whirs to life behind him and Geno stretches his arm out to grab it before Sid can.

“Thanks, Sid. Best.”

“Yeah. I’m going to print you out a second copy so when you lose that one you’ll have a back up.”

Geno rolls his eyes. “Very funny. Guard this one with my life. Very responsible.”

“Uh huh.”

“Is true. Here.” He pats the left side jacket and then the right before he reaches his hand in and pulls out a package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and puts it down on the desk in front of him. “See. Keep nice and safe and don’t forget to give. Favorite, right?”

Sid keeps staring down at the orange package in confusion. “Yes.”

“Remember how last year during Halloween party you pick out all the peanut butter cups. Stop and get gas this morning and see this by the register. It reminded me of you so I get.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe you think about next time you think I’m irresponsible.”

Sid doubts he’ll ever think of anything else.

Geno drums his hand on the desk and looks over his shoulder towards his own classroom. Sid can hear the kids voices getting louder and louder.

“Have to get back. Talk to you later? Have bus duty with me tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

Geno smiles. “Good. Can be cold out there tomorrow together.”

He puts his feet up on the side of Sid’s desk and pushes off and goes flying towards the door.

The paper flies free from his hand and he rolls over it making the kids laugh when he rolls back to pick it up. It’s dirty and torn at the edge and Sid holds out the second copy and waits for Geno to roll over to him and take it.

“Thank you, Sid. Be real careful with this one. Enjoy candy.”

Sid watches him go then gets his kids to refocus back on their work.

When they’re quiet he tucks the candy into the top drawer of his desk so he’s not tempted to eat it before lunchtime.

He glances out the door and into Geno’s classroom.

Geno is at his desk and he’s looking right back at him.


	2. It Reminded Me Of You Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow up to Chapter 1.

“Will.”

“Mr. Crosby, I’m telling you the truth.”

“You’re expecting me to believe that your hamster ate your math homework?”

“He did, I swear it.”

“Hamsters are like-.” He holds out his hand, palm up. “This big. How could it eat the whole paper.”

“He stored it in his cheeks. You know they can fit whole baby carrots in there. There’s a video on YouTube, I can show you.”

He pokes at Sid’s laptop and Sid shuts it firmly.

“It’s okay, I believe you.”

Will smiles. “So I can have another sheet? I’ll get it in tomorrow, I swear.”

“I believe you about the carrot, not about him eating your homework. This is the third time this week you haven’t handed an assignment in. If you’re not doing your homework because you don’t understand it, that I can help you with. But if you’re not doing it because you just don’t want to-.”

“I want to,” Will says. “I get how to do it but I put it in my bag and by the time I get home it’s just gone.”

“You’re disorganized. We can talk about ways to fix that after you come back from recess.”

Will brightens. “No time off?”

“No. Now go and have fun. Get some fresh air.”

Will turns on his heels and hurries out of the classroom, pausing only to say hello to Mr. Malkin who is standing in the doorway.

“Don’t run,” Sid calls after him then waves his hand when he still hears footsteps tearing down the hall.

Geno laughs and Sid rolls his eyes. “Good teacher not taking time off recess.”

“Kids need to burn that energy off. Plus I need a break.”

Geno hums. “Coffee cake in teachers lounge.”

Sid shakes his head. “If I eat that much sugar after lunch I get a headache.”

“Have those maple donuts you like, too.”

Sid pushes himself away from the desk and stands. “I can take some Advil, I’ll be fine.”

He follows Geno out into the hall.

The classrooms to the left and right of them are all empty with kids either at lunch or recess or off to music or gym.

Sid takes advantage of the momentary privacy and hooks his finger into the belt loop of Geno’s dress pants.

Geon twists around and rolls his eyes affectionately before he takes Sid’s hand in his own.

This is new for them.

After years of flirting and pining they finally get to touch.

It was Geno who gave them the final push in the right direction. Sid always knew it would be.

A month ago some of the faculty went out to celebrate the end of parent-teacher conferences and after a few hours of listening to Geno and Horny sing bad karaoke and Phil and Tanger arguing the pros and cons of dodge-ball Sid decided to call it a night.

He didn’t realize Geno had lept down from the makeshift stage and followed him out into the parking lot until he was halfway to his car and turned when he heard footsteps following him.

Geno had kissed him against the passenger door with one hand on the roof and the other holding the side of his face.

He tasted like beer and nachos and Sid clutched at his back and ignored the sound of people walking past them.

“Didn’t say goodbye,” Geno had said and Sid, through a fog of happiness and lust and disbelief had answered with “you seemed pretty busy.”

“Never too busy for you,” he answered back and kissed him again.

They went home separately that night after Geno laughed and laughed at Sid being so dazed that he opened the passenger door and climbed in.

Geno lets go of Sid’s hand to open the door to the lounge and immediately barks out “drop it,” to Flower who is holding the last donut up to his lips.

“Told you that’s for Sid.”

“He was taking too long to get here.”

“He here now. Drop it. Go clean paint brushes or something.”

Flower groans but places the donut back into the box. “I don’t have a class for another hour but I’ll go so you two can make moon eyes at each other in private.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sid says and Flower says nothing, only bats his eyelashes at the two of them on his way out.

“We’re not that obvious, are we?”

Geno shakes his head and places the donut on a napkin for Sid. “Only know because I told him.”

“Why would you do that? He’s going to tell the whole school.”

“No, has known for a long time, never tell.”

“A month isn’t a long time.”

“Longer than that, Sid. Know I like you since you started working here.”

Sid’s stuck halfway between the door and the table Geno is sitting at. “What?”

“Yes, yes, you show up and I just….had to tell someone, you know? Go crazy if I keep it to myself.” He shrugs. “Tell Flower. Give me good advice about it actually.”

“You could have told me.”

“Was scary. You were new. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

“Yeah, but, we could have started this a lot sooner. I’ve liked you since that first day.”

“And you never tell me.”

“I…” Sid stops because he has a point.

Geno smiles and pats the seat next to him. When Sid sits down Geno slides the napkin closer and kisses his temple.

“Don’t worry about time we lost, Sid. Was nice just being friends with you.” He hooks his foot around the leg of Sid’s chair and pulls him a little closer. Sid responds by linking his ankle around Geno’s and Geno smiles. “Have plenty of time for this.”

 


	3. I Think You're Beautiful

Sid rolls over and squeezes his eyes shut tighter against the light from the lamp on the bedside table.

He groans and Geno responds by covering the top of his head with his hand and Sid opens his eyes against the light.

Geno is sitting up in bed with his back against the headboard. He’s holding a hand mirror in front of his face and when he lifts his other hand off Sid’s head he gingerly touches the edge of the bandage on his cheek.

“Don’t,” Sid mumbles. “Don’t poke at it.”

“Worried it’s going to leave a scar.”

“Poking at it won’t make it better.”

Geno grumbles.

“You have to let it heal. That’s your best chance to have it not scar and even it does, who cares.”

“Who cares?”

“Yeah. You’re a hockey player, you’re supposed to have scars.”

Geno looks down at him and traces a finger across Sid’s unblemished cheek. “Don’t have room to talk, Sid.”

Sid shuts his eyes and sighs into the pillow. Geno’s fingertip is still feather light against his skin.

“Give it time. I’m sure it’ll happen.”

Geno frowns. “No one touch you.”

Sid laughs. “Give it time, I’m sure it’ll happen.” He pushes up on his elbow and kisses just below the bandage. “Shut the light off. Go to sleep.”

Sid settles back down and hears the light click off. A moment later Geno is wiggling his shoulders against the mattress and Sid throws an arm over his waist.

He feels Geno’s chest rise and fall as he takes a deep breath and Sid readies himself to fall back to sleep.

Suddenly Geno is lifting his arm off him and slipping out of bed.

“Geno-.”

“Sorry, Sid. Just have to check.”

The light clicks on in the bathroom and Sid sits there for a moment before stumbles out of bed, tripping over the end of his too long sleep pants that he borrowed from Geno.

Geno has the bandage off and discarded on the counter and his fingers are poised to touch the deep red mark high on his cheek.

“Don’t,” Sid says as he slides into the bathroom. “What did I say? What did the doctor say?”

“I know, I know, I just worry.”

“About what?”

Geno drops his hands to the counter and looks down at the sink. “Scar, you know. Don’t look good. Worry…” He trails off and Sid tips his head.

“Worry about what?”

“You know. Looks bad, think maybe you won’t like,” he admits quietly and Sid bullies his way between Geno’s arms and lifts himself onto the counter.

Geno refuses to look at him so Sid presses his fingertips to his jaw and forces his chin up.

“First of all, I think the scar would be hot.”

Geno scoffs and Sid holds him a little tighter. “I’m serious. You know I would love you no matter what.”

Geno takes a sharp breath and Sid follows after.

That’s the first time either have said _love_ but Sid’s not about to take it back.

“Love you, too, Sid,” Geno says as his hands move across Sid’s thighs and up to his hips. “Still gonna think I’m pretty with big scar?”

“I think you’re beautiful,” Sid says seriously and tips his head up for a kiss.

He leans in a second time to kiss right below the cut then pats Geno on the chest.

“C’mon, I’ll help you get bandaged up again and then we’ll go back to bed.”

“Bed,” Geno echos as his hands wander up and down Sid’s sides, trying to distract him.

Sid shakes his head and bites at his bottom lip until he finishes the job.

Then he hops off the counter and reaches for Geno’s hand.

Geno lets himself be tugged into the bedroom.


	4. I'll Walk You Home

As soon as Geno turns the key in the lock and opens the door he knows something is wrong.

The house is dark and empty but through the kitchen he can see the lights around the pool are on.

His father is a stickler for shutting lights off. He would have never have left for the weekend without double and triple checking that he had turned it off.

Denis’ taillights disappear as he turns the corner down the end of the street and Geno knows he has the radio up too high to hear his phone ring in the cup holder next to him.

He’s on his own with this.

Geno slowly shuts the door behind him and tip toes closer to the sliding doors.

There’s a splash in the pool and he freezes.

Best case scenario, he supposes, is a raccoon. Worst case is an intruder.

Either way he leans into the hallway closet and pulls out a spare hockey stick before continuing on his way to the deck.

He inches around the island in the kitchen and cranes his neck so he can see out the sliding glass doors and takes a huge breath.

Sidney Crosby is standing at the edge of the pool dragging a pool skimmer on the surface of the water.

Geno leans his stick against the counter and yanks the door open.

Sid jumps and drops the skimmer into the pool.

“Fuck,” he says as he watches the skimmer float towards the middle of the pool. He looks up at Geno. “Shit. What are you doing here?”

“My house. What are you doing here? It’s late.”

“You’re supposed to be at a wedding.”

“Come home early. Start summer training tomorrow. Now you go, what are you doing here?”

Sid kneels down next to the edge of the pool. The skimmer has taken a fortunate path towards the side and Sid dips his hand into the water to wave it over.

“I couldn’t get here this afternoon. I had to babysit my little sister. My parents came home a half an hour ago.”

“So you break in?”

“I didn’t. I hopped the fence.”

“Fence six feet tall.”

“I really wanted to get in. Ah.” He grabs the skimmer and stands up. “Please don’t tell your parents I was here this late. I can’t afford to lose this job. I mean, I have other houses but your parents pay the most and I just-.”

“Sid. It’s okay. Parents would never fire you over this. Or anything. Love you. Sidney Crosby so nice. So polite. Love you like third son.”

“Still. I was supposed to be here and I wasn’t.”

Geno sits down on one of the lounge chairs.

“Won’t tell anyone, I promise. Had to watch sister? How old?”

“Six.”

“Good age,” Geno says without really knowing.

“Yeah. She’s a handful,” Sid says as he skims a few more leaves off and dumps them into a pile on the side of the lawn. “You promise you won’t tell?”

Geno crosses an X over his heart. “Promise. Saving up money for car?”

Sid shakes his head. “Hockey gear. I want to join the team but it’s so expensive.”

“Parents can’t afford?” Geno asks and then winces. Tactfulness isn’t always his strong suit.

“They can. I’d just rather they be spending their spare money on Taylor.”

Geno clucks his tongue. “Parents right about you. Sidney Crosby so nice.”

Sid ducks his head and even in the weak light Geno can see the blush spread across his cheeks.

Sid taps the skimmer on the side of the pool and puts it back in the shed.

“You all done?”

Sid nods.

“Come inside. Have some food.”

“They didn’t feed you at the wedding?”

“Was long time ago. Three hours.”

“That’s not that long.”

“You spend last two hours in the car with Denis listening to his shitty music, takes a lot out of you. Growing boy,” he adds and he waits by the door for Sid to come inside.

Sid takes his shoes off and Geno rolls his eyes.

“They’re wet,” he explains before he follows Geno into the kitchen and sits down at the breakfast bar. “Where is Denis?”

“Only drop me off. Went straight to his girlfriends house.”

Geno pulls out peanut butter and a loaf of bread out of the cabinet and digs around the silverware drawer for a knife.

“You think you’re good enough to make team?”

“Yes,” Sid says without hesitation.

“What position you play?”

“Center.”

Geno glances up at him. “Me too.”

Sid shrugs and Geno smiles.

“Confidence is good,” Geno says as he hands the first sandwich over to Sid. “You’re not better than me, but it’s good.”

“I guess we’ll have to see at the start of the season.” Sid takes a huge bite of his sandwich.

Geno is charmed.

They eat their sandwiches and then Sid slips his flip flops back on.

“At least go through front door this time,” Geno says as he leads him back through the house. “Don’t have car or I would drive you. I’ll walk you home?”

“No, it’s fine. I only live a few blocks over.”

“Very late.”

“I’ll be fine. Promise. You sure you won’t tell?”

“Sid. Can prick finger and do blood oath if you want. You keep job and save up money and try to make the team in the fall.”

“I will make the team in the fall,” Sid says. He rocks back and forth on his toes with his hands in the front pocket of his shorts. “I hope you’re ready to win it all next season.”

“Always ready,” Geno says and it sounds more like flirting than anything else.

Sid doesn’t look like he minds. “Will you be here tomorrow afternoon?”

Geno nods. “Training is very early. Usually come home and go for a swim to cool down.”

Sid nods. “Your parents will still be out?”

“Won’t be back until tomorrow night.”

“And your brother?”

“Probably be with girlfriend all day. All alone here.”

“That’s good to know,” Sid says. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Can’t wait.”

Sid turns down the front path and Geno leans against the front door and watches him go.


	5. Did You Get My Letter?

Evgeni lives a small but lucky life.

He’s lucky his mother escaped persecution and took refuge in the Crosby Kingdom when Evgeni was just a baby.

He’s lucky for the king and queen’s kindness to take the both of them in and give his mother a job as a maid to earn money.

Evgeni grew up always have enough food and warm clothes to get through the harsh winters.

When his mother died when he was seven he’s lucky the king and queen didn’t turn their backs on him and send him out into the cold.

He’s heard stories of rulers who want nothing to do with those who have nothing to offer.

Evgeni suspects it has something to do with them having a son only a year younger than him.

Prince Sidney is small but fiery and doesn’t think twice about challenging boys nearly twice his size to duals with broken tree branches as swords or to wrestling matches where Evgeni looks on, partly worried, partly impressed when Sidney is always able to hold his own.

He comes out of it victorious and bloody and as the loser’s depart in one direction Evgeni takes him by the wrist and leads him in the other.

By the river Evgeni dips the edge of his tunic into the cool water and dabs at the cuts on Sidney’s knuckles and then at the one across his cheek. He doesn’t think that it will scar, not that it would matter.

Sidney is going to be beautiful when he grows up, scar or not.

But for now he’s a child, they both are, and when Sidney whimpers when Evgeni presses a little too hard he trusts him not to tell.

“I don’t know why you keep fighting them.”

“I like to win,” Sidney says simply then pulls his hand away and cradles it against his chest. “They deserve to lose.”

“Why?”

Sidney shrugs. “They like to talk a lot when they shouldn’t.”

“About what?”

“You,” he says simply.

“What do they say?”

“Nothing worth repeating.”

Sidney is ten years old but already sounds like an adult and Evgeni wonders if the responsibility of being a prince and a future king has changed him right from the start.

But then he scrunches up his face and says “they’re stupid,” and Evgeni has to agree. “I don’t like the way they talk about you,” he says quietly and Evgeni sits all the way down in the dirty by the river. “It’s not nice.”

“I’m not important, Sidney,” Evgeni says. He knows his worth, or lack thereof. He is an orphan. He is poor. He is tall and gangly and none of his clothing fits him the right way since his mother is no longer around to hem it. “I am nothing to them. They’re important. You are important. You don’t need to fight for me.”

“You’re my friend,” Sidney says. “If I don’t fight for you what else is there to fight for?”

The sun shines on the river, reflecting off the water and making it look like the surface is covered in a million diamonds.

It’s not half as bright as the smile Evgeni gives Sidney.

 

When Evgeni is thirteen he accepts a job in the kitchen of the castle.

An older woman with grey hair and wrinkled hands teaches him his to bake bread and cakes and when she’s not around Sidney sneaks in and licks extra frosting out of a discarded bowl.

“Going to ruin your supper,” Evgeni warns.

Sidney gives him a sugary sweet smile then dips his finger back in.

 

When Evgeni is fourteen Sidney is sent off to a boarding school and Evgeni’s heart breaks.

The dinner the night before his departure is quiet.

Evgeni makes Sidney’s favorite stew and hearty rolls with sweetened butter.

There is cake for dessert with cooked cherries between the layers.

It’s meant to make Sidney happy but when he comes into the kitchen while Evgeni is cleaning up his mouth is set into a firm line.

Wordlessly he fills the space beside Evgeni and dips a dirty bowl into a tub of murky water.

“It’s only three years,” he says and Evgeni nods. A lot can happen in three years. Sidney will come back a man filled with knowledge and experiences that Evgeni will never be fortunate enough to have. Sidney sets the bowl down and puts his hand on Evgeni’s shoulder. “I’m going to miss you.”

Evgeni gives him a sad smile and doubts that that’s true. “I’ll miss you too.”

“I’ll write to you,” Sidney says, “then it’ll be like we aren’t even apart.”

“Okay,” Evgeni says and doesn’t believe that either.

But it makes the Prince smile and move his hand from Evgeni’s shoulder to the back of his neck. His fingertips are damp where they press into his skin and Evgeni bends down to wrap his own arms around Sidney’s waist.

“I’ll write to you,” he says again before he eases himself out of Evgeni’s arms. “Three years will go by so quickly.”

 

Evgeni is in the kitchen when Prince Sidney leaves the next day. The other workers crowd the windows to wave goodbye but he stays at the counter cutting butter into flour for a pie crust. He’ll fill it with thinly sliced apples and top it with sugar.

It’s the Queen’s favorite. He heard she had been crying as her son rode off.

He’s not expecting any letters but two months after his departure there’s an envelope sealed with golden wax tucked into the crease of his front door.

Another arrives a month later and another a month after that.

He tells Evgeni about his classes and the people that he’s met.

None of them seemed to have made an impression.

“I haven’t met anyone quite like you,” Sidney writes.

Evgeni tries to write back but words fail him. He will never be able to write anything as eloquent as the Prince can and doesn’t want to give Sidney a reason to stop writing him. Like his stilted prose will finally make him realize that Evgeni is not everything he’s built him up to be. Like he’ll finally figure it out.

So Evgeni reads the letters then files them away in a box beneath his bed for safe keeping.

 

The month before Sidney is set to return Evgeni gets a letter that makes his heart race.

My classmates keep talking about girls and their first kisses. I’m too embarrassed to admit that I haven’t had one. I’d like for it to be you, if that’s okay. I’ll be home soon. You can give me your answer then.

Evgeni sits on his lumpy mattress and presses the parchment to his chest.

The King and Queen hold a huge ball the night Prince Sidney returns.

Evgeni is stuck in the kitchen cooking all day and does his best to ignore the tittering of the young maids who flit in and out, gossiping about how handsome the young Prince has become.

“Whichever lady catches his eyes tonight will certainly be lucky,” one of them says and Evgeni gives her a dark look then hides his smile when she hurries out the door.

The ball is in full swing when Evgeni finally frees himself from the kitchen.

There is music and people dancing and Evgeni skirts around the edge of the room with a bowl full of freshly baked rolls in his hands, scanning the dance floor for the Prince.

He expects to see him hand in hand with a pretty lady in an even prettier dress, completely captivated by her and the thought of Evgeni pushed so far from his mind.

As long as he’s happy, Evgeni thinks before he slams into something solid and the bowl drops.

He drops to his knees and scoops the rolls back into the bowl. He’ll have to throw them out back to the hogs and hurry to get a new batch in the oven. He can make them with his eyes closed at this point, it shouldn’t be a problem.

He reaches for the last roll but a hand gets there first.

When he looks up he’s met with the brilliant hazel eyes of Prince Sidney.

Evgeni stumbles to his feet and Sidney raises up effortlessly.

Evgeni still towers over him but the broadness of Sidney’s shoulders and chest are prominent beneath the fabric of his navy blue uniform.

His skin is pale and his hair is an inky black and curling around his temples.

The maids were right. He is the most beautiful thing Evgeni has ever seen.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Sidney says.

Evgeni forgets how to speak for a moment and then finally stutters out, “in the kitchen.”

Sidney smiles. “Of course.” He steps closer. “Did you get my letter?”

“Yes. All of them.:

“Did you think about what I asked?”

Evgeni nods. “Yes. And yes.”

“Good. Meet me down by the river when you get a chance. I’ll be waiting.”

He turns and Evgeni balances the bowl in one hand and grabs Sidney by the elbow with the other. “Can’t just leave. People will wonder where you went.”

“It’s my party,” Sidney says with a shrug of his shoulder. “I can leave if I’d like to. And I’d really like to.”

Evgeni stands stuck in one place as Sidney makes his way to the door, smiling when he’s stopped and giving polite yet uninterested smiles at whoever it is.

Finally he’s able to slip away, turning halfway over his shoulder and looking at Evgeni before he loses sight of him.

Evgeni gets back into the kitchen and with shaky hands makes a new batch of rolls.

“Take those out when they’re golden,” he tells a fellow cook. “Watch carefully.”

“Where are you going?”

Evgeni waves a hand and doesn’t answer.

He can hear the river before he sees it.

The air is thick and humid and when he sees the silhouette of Sidney leaning against the tree a bead of sweat rolls down his back.

Sidney looks up at the sound of snapping twigs and smiles when he sees Evgeni standing in the moonlight.

“Hi,” Evgeni says and Sidney laughs and shakes his head as he steps forward and steps in close. Evgeni is still wearing his dirty apron and he realizes that he’s going to get flour on Sidney’s smart uniform.

He opens his mouth to warn him as Sidney presses his hands to Evgeni’s chest then raises on his toes and presses their lips together.

It’s sweet and entirely too brief and when Sidney settles back down on his heels Evgeni chases his mouth.

“I’ve missed you,” Sidney says and Evgeni brushes the flour off the front of his shirt until Sidney catches his hand. “It’s okay.”

“I ruined you.”

“No,” Sidney says then brings Evgeni’s hands up to his mouth. “You could only ever make me better.”


	6. I Saved You A Seat

Sid only has one foot inside the plane when Geno starts calling his name and waving.

He’s sitting in Flower’s old seat.

“Sid.” He waves frantically then pats the empty seat beside him, Sid’s seat. “Saved you a seat.”

Everyone is watching him and Geno looks so excited. He would have to be heartless to ignore him.

Geno is still beaming at him when he sits down and shoves his bag beneath the seat in front of him.

“Need new seatmate, right?

“Yeah. Don’t you usually sit next to Phil?”

Geno nods then juts his chin towards the row next to them where Phil is sitting with Reaves.

“New best friend,” Gneo says with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “I need new seatmate too. Everything work out.”

“Yeah,” Sid says feeling just a bit unsettled at the sudden new arrangement. “I guess so.”

 

Flying with Geno is nothing like flying with Flower.

Flower was hard to keep quiet, always ready with a joke or a story. He was good at keeping Sid out of his head and away from articles that he really shouldn’t be reading about himself or the team.

Geno is quiet. He keeps his head down, either in his phone or a book or a magazine and it’s not like Sid needs the conversation but it would be nice to have a distraction.

 

The game in Chicago is terrible. Embarrassing. Painful.

The entire plane is silent on their way back to Pittsburgh and Sid doesn’t mind it at all.

 

Sid falls asleep on the flight to Minnesota.

About an hour in he’s jolted awake by some heavy turbulence and grips instinctively onto the armrest.

Geno’s arm is already there and when Sid tries to pull his hand away Geno flips his own hand so they’re pressed palm to palm and links their fingers together.

Flower never did that.

The turbulence passes quickly enough but Geno doesn’t let go until the pilot comes on and apologizes and assures them that everything will be smooth until they land.

“Okay,” Geno asks and Sid wipes his sweaty palm on his pant leg.

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

Geno gives him a reassuring smile and goes back to his phone.

 

The travel is relentless.

It feels like every other day the team is back on a plane.

Sid has plenty of time to adjust to his new seating arrangement.

Soon it’s easy to settle in beside Geno and he falls asleep easily to the sound of his fingertips tapping against his phone or turning the pages of his book.

 

The games don’t get easier.

Sometimes it feels like an uphill climb, that the team can’t do anything right, and the reporters are getting tired of asking him the same questions and he’s getting tired of answering them.

So, instead they ask him who he’s sitting with now that Flower is gone.

“Geno. I've been sitting next to Geno.”

“And how’s that working out for you? Is it messing with your pregame routine?”

Sid blows out a breath then runs his hand through his hair, immediately setting his hat back on his head. “I mean, I don’t know. Haven’t been playing as well as I could be,” he jokes and the reporters laugh. “Might have to do something about it.”

 

Sid is first on the plane in the morning. He already has his bag tucked beneath the seat when Geno gets on.

Geno looks straight ahead and walks right passed him and Sid bends over backwards to grab his elbow.

“Hey. Where are you going?”

“Bad for routine,” Geno says flatly. “Doing something about it.”

“What are you talking about?”

Geno gives him an unimpressed look and shakes off Sid’s hand.

Sid slumps slowly back into his seat.

“De-nied,” Tanger says from across the aisle.

Sid scowls. “Shut up.”

When they hit turbulence this time there’s no one there to hold Sid’s hand.

When he turns in his seat after it’s over Geno is sitting by himself in the back row tucked tight against the window.

When he looks up and catches Sid’s eye he immediately looks back down.

Sid sighs and presses his head against the back of his seat.

He can’t catch a break.

 

On the ice Geno acts like nothing is wrong.

He’s been in the game for awhile. He’s a professional. He can work through personal issues without a problem.

But off the ice, as they fly to Washington and then Nashville, and then Ottawa, Sid is ignored.

“It was a joke,” Sid hisses at Tanger on the flight to Boston.

“Sure.”

“I don’t actually think he’s the reason why we lost those games. It was a joke.”

“You already said that to me. Why don’t you try telling it to him?”

“I don’t….shut up.”

“Mmmmhmmm.”

It takes another twenty minutes for Sid to work up the courage to make his way to the back of the plane.

Sid leans on the seat in front of Geno clears his throat.

“Can I sit here?”

Geno does nothing for a few stressful moments then moves his bag off the seat so Sid can sit down.

“I don’t think it’s your fault. It was stupid of me to say that. It was a joke. They laughed.”

“Very superstitious, Sid. You sure you don’t mean.”

“Yes, I’m sure. It’s a million other things but it’s not you.” He drops his voice. “I’m great with change, especially when something has been the same for so long and losing Flower.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. Geno finally looks at him. “It’s been really hard and it took me some time to adjust but I really like sitting with you. I miss it. I miss you.”

Geno’s stoic face softens.

“So, can we go back to sitting with each other. It’s lonely up there by myself.”

“Just want someone to hold your hand when it gets bumpy.”

“Want you to hold my hand,” Sid admits without thinking. His face colors when Geno raises his eyebrows at him. Sid tries to play it off and nods towards the phone in Geno’s hand. “What do you do on that thing?”

“Netflix.” He holds an earbud out towards Sid. “Watch Stranger Things?”

“That’s the one with the kids?”

Geno rolls his eyes. “Have to start at the beginning with you, I guess.”

“Sorry,” Sid says, but feels anything but as he snuggles in close to him.


	7. Don't Cry

It’s cold in Winnipeg.

It’s the first real blast of winter any of them have faced and the last place Sid expects to find Geno is in the alley next to the restaurant during the post game dinner.

It’s been a sullen affair, most of the guys or silent and keeping their heads down so they don’t draw the attention of any of the locals who had been at the game.

Sid asked Sully if maybe it was a better idea to just stay in and order room service but he shook his head and walked away and the whole team had to parade into a restaurant five minutes from the hotel.

Geno had excused himself to the bathroom right after placing his order and everyone is halfway done with their meals and he still hasn’t returned.

No one but Sid seems to have noticed and when he tells Jake to his left and Horny to his right that he’s headed to the restroom they barely look up.

Sid steadfastly ignores someone in a Pens jersey a few tables over calling his name and only feels a little guilty about it when he pushes open the men’s room door.

There’s an older gentleman washing his hands at the sink and when he looks at Sid his eyes widen then immediately divert his stare down at his feet as he rushes by him.

Sid checks all the stalls but they’re all empty and Sid is at a loss. He watched Geno walk this way.

He leaves and looks back towards the table.

Geno’s chair is still empty and his coat is hanging off the back of it. He turns his head and sees the emergency exit.

It’s the only other option and he prays that there’s not an alarm when he leans down on the bar and pushes it open.

Geno’s leaning against the brick wall between two dumpsters with his shoulders hunched up to his ears and his hands jammed in his pocket.

He turns slightly away from Sid when he hears the door open.

“What are you doing out here, it’s freezing? You don’t even have a coat on.”

“Neither do you,” Geno says. His voice sounds thick and used, like he spent the entire sixty minutes of play yelling.

Sid lets the door close behind him and hears it lock. He has more important things to deal with now.

“What are you doing out here,” he asks again. “You just disappeared.”

“Took a long time for you to notice.”

“Geno.”

Sid steps closer and hears Geno sniffle from more than just the cold and Sid puts his hand on Geno’s arm.

Geno shrugs him off and Sid only presses closer.

“What’s the matter?”

“Not like last year,” he says and Sid tips his head trying to understand. “Team. Different.”

Sid rests his shoulder against the brick beside him. “Oh.”

“Yeah. This keep happening, I don’t know.”

“It’s so early, G.”

“Yeah, but this keeps happening. Can’t get anything started, can’t stop them. Defense, offense, goalie. Already lose one goalie, now what? People getting hurt. Embarrassing to lose like this.”

“I know, Geno, I know. It’s not….we’ll figure it out.”

Geno nods and wipes his hand across his face. In the watery light coming from the street lamps down the end of the alley he can just make out how red his eyes are.

“Don’t cry,” Sid says and he can’t help himself from touching the tips of his fingers to Geno’s chest. “Don’t cry, please.”

“Miss Flower and Kuni and Cully and-.” He pauses to jam the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Don’t know, Sid.”

“What don’t you know?”

“Hard right now.”

“It’s always hard.” He carefully wraps his fingers around Geno’s wrists and drags his hands away. “There’s always something, you know. An injury or some stupid reporter saying we’re too old but we always get through it. Come on.” He taps his fingers against Geno’s left shoulder, right where the A would be. “You and me.”

“Yeah,” Geno mumbles.

He doesn’t sound convinced and Sid frowns.

“It’s going to be okay. I know it. Come back inside. Eat your dinner before someone else gets to it before you.”

“You think there’s any left?”

“It was untouched when I left but I don’t know. Could be gone by now.”

Sid takes a step away from the wall and towards the street and thankfully, Geno follows.

Right before they step into the light Geno reaches for his hand and squeezes.

“Thanks, Sid,” he says, voice low in his ear.

Sid nods and squeezes back.


	8. I Dreamt About You Last Night

The door bangs closed behind them as Sid pushes Geno back against the sink.

“Not gonna-.”

Geno’s protest is muffled by Sid’s mouth on his and by the water turning on automatically behind Geno’s back.

Sid pulls at the bottom of Geno’s shirt and shoves his hand underneath feeling skin for the first time in over two weeks.

Sid spotted him through the crowded terminal after Geno got off his flight and made a beeline towards him, grabbed his wrist and hauled him into the bathroom that was tucked into the corner, out of the way and mostly ignored.

Geno didn’t even have time to get his checked luggage which is probably still circling on the carousel right now.

It’s hard for him to care when Sid’s hands are hot on his waist and his lips are moving constantly up and down his neck.

“Sid. Someone gonna come in.”

“No one uses this bathroom. It’s out of the way. People don’t like to walk,” Sid mumbles before he bites down on the tendon in Geno’s throat and Geno throws his head back giving Sid more room to work.

“Still. You think maybe one person comes in and sees us. Don’t want to get in trouble at an airport. Serious. Can’t wait until we get home or at least to the car?”

Sid pulls back just enough to look him in the eyes. His pupils are blown and his lips are red.

“I dreamt about you last night,” he says and Geno can’t stop his quick intake of breath. “You remember last Valentine’s Day when you surprised me at home and we didn’t even make it up the stairs?”

Geno nods. It would be impossible for him to forget.

“My dream last night was like that only better.”

Geno drops more of his weight back against the sink. “Sid, nothing better than that. That’s….top ever. Best. Can’t think of anything better.”

Sid’s eyes rake up and down Geno’s body. “We can do better.”

Geno groans then bushes himself off the sink so he can grab Sid by the front of his shirt.

Sid’s all smiles as Geno drags him towards the last stall.


	9. It Brings Out Your Eyes

Geno knocks once and doesn’t wait for Sid to answer before he opens the door.

Sid watches him slip through the open door in the reflection of the floor length mirror and raises an eyebrow.

He’s holding two ties in his hand, one blue and one green.

“You could have waited until I answered. What if I had been changing?”

“Nothing I haven’t seen before, Sid.” He sets the ties down on the table by the door then steps up close behind him and spreads his hands across Sid’s ass. “Seen it all before.” He drags his lips down the side of his neck. “Lots.”

Sid spins in his arms. Geno settles his hands on his hips.

“Are you nervous?”

“No. Why would I be? Been ready for this for years.”

“Come on.”

“Is true. Since we met. Since before we met.”

“Yeah right.”

“I hear about you years ago, watch you play all the way from Russia and I think that Sidney Crosby, gonna marry him someday.” He digs into his suit jacket and pulls out a velvet box. One of their rings are in there. “Today I finally do it.”

“Why do you have that?”

Geno drops it back into his pocket. “Don’t trust, Tanger.”

“Ahh.”

“You nervous?”

Sid wrinkles his nose. “There’s a lot of people.”

“We very popular. Lots of people happy for us.”

He knows that’s true. But he also knows for every person that supports them there is another who doesn’t, who is louder about it, and Sid doesn’t even check social media but he’ll catch Geno frowning down at his phone and just know.

But still, Geno smiles openly at him and grabs his hand in public and kisses him goodbye and hello at airports.

He doesn’t let any of it bother him so Sid does his best to follow his lead.

Right now in the privacy afforded to them in the back room of the church Sid takes his future husband-to-be’s face in his hands and kisses him deep.

Geno hums against his lips. “More of that later.”

“We’ve got our whole lives,” Sid says and Geno’s eyes light up before he surges forward and kisses him again.

“Gonna be best husband.” Geno kisses his nose then darts across the room towards the ties. “Came here to ask you this. Don’t trust Tanger with rings, don’t trust Phil with tie. What color?”

Sid touches the green one without hesitation.

“This one,” he says as he plucks it from Geno’s fingers and loops it around his neck. “It brings out your eyes.”


	10. I Want You To Be Happy

The mood in the locker room after a 6-0 shutout is loud and joyful. There’s music pumping and guys yelling at each other and the mob of reporters is so thick Sid can barely see through them.

Eventually they thin out and someone turns the music down and the guys all shove their ties in the pockets of their dress pants and start to map out plans to celebrate.

“Bar,” Hags says. “That one on 9th that we went to after the Caps game.”

“Club,” Dumo says.

“Can’t we just go to dinner,” Jake suggests, still young enough to get carded and still new enough to the team to be embarrassed about it.

He’s quickly shot down and the guys make alternate plans in the middle of the room with their heads bent together.

“Bar,” Horny announces and he gets Shears into a headlock when he mumbles ‘of course you sided with Hags,’ under his breath.

Sid’s still tying his shoes when Phil swats Geno on the shoulder and asks him if he’s going out.

“Can’t. Have date tonight.”

Guys are still talking and music is still playing but all Sid hears is his heart pounding in his ears.

“Really,” Phil says as he plops down next to him.

Geno ducks his head and nods. “Yeah. You know. First date. Little nervous.”

“Don’t be. You’ll be fine. Let me know how it goes.”

“Sure. Have fun tonight. You coming, Sid?”

Sid makes a noncommittal noise and Phil rolls his eyes and jerks a thumb at him.

“Whatever man, be boring,” he says as he picks himself up and follows the rest of the team out of the locker room.

Soon it’s just Sid and Geno sitting by themselves in the empty locker room.

Sid clears his throat and grabs his jacket off the hook. “Hope you have fun tonight.”

“Sid.”

Sid turns on his heel. “What? What do you want me to say? I hope you have fun. I hope you have a great time.”

“You mad at me?”

“I’m not anything. I’m….your captain and your teammate and I’m telling you that I hope you have a good time on your date tonight.”

“Bullshit, Sid. You mad.”

“Why would I be mad,” he asks and then adds “is this your first date since we broke up?”

“You broke up,” Geno shouts and Sid shushes him and glances over his shoulder towards the door. None of their teammates come bounding through so he figures they’re already long gone. When he turns around Geno is right in front of him poking his finger into his chest. “You break up with me. Tell me to move on and find someone else and now you’re pissy when I do?”

“I-.”

“Nothing you can say. So unfair. Don’t care at all about me or how I feel and now I meet someone-.”

“I want you to be happy,” Sid interrupts and all of the fight seeps out of Geno’s body. “It wasn’t fair, us being together. You deserve more than what I can give.”

“Sid-.”

Sid puts his hand up and stops him. “It wasn’t fair to you. You’re not the type to keep things a secret. You don’t want to. You want everyone to know how happy you are and how in love you feel and I couldn’t do that for you. Not right now. It’s not fair to make you wait. I’m wasting your time. So I hope you and him or her-.”

“Her.”

Sid nods and tries to decide if that makes it better or worse. “Great. That’s great. I really do hope you have fun and that it all works out. You deserve to be happy.” He doesn’t move to touch him and Geno doesn’t stop him on his way out of the locker room.

The rest of the team are lingering by their cars, trying to figure out who will ride with who.

It’s just starting to sprinkle.

They don’t say a thing to him as he gets into his own car and drives towards home.

He changes into sweats and reheats some leftovers when he gets back home.

He plans on re-watching the game and maybe catching up on his reading before he heading to bed and getting a good night’s sleep.

His conversation with Geno replays over and over in his mind.

So does everything with Geno.

Their first meeting and Geno’s first goal- the way Geno crushed him against his side. Their first kiss and the first time Geno gently pressed him into the mattress and made his toes curl and moan his name.

The look on Geno’s face when he told him they should end this before they got deep, completely ignoring the fact that they were both way over their heads.

Sid chokes down the rest of his dinner, tasting like sawdust in his mouth, and rinses his plate.

He’s just set it down to dry when the front door opens and Geno comes spilling inside.

“Sid,” he calls, looking up the stairs and then into the living room. When he spots Sid in the kitchen he rushes towards him, slipping slightly on the the tile floor. “Sid,” he says again and Sid can’t stop him from putting his hands on the side of his face and kissing him. Geno’s hair is wet and it drips into his eyes as he kisses all over Sid’s face. Sid claws into his back, a grabs a fistful of damp fabric. “Would wait forever, Sid, go on date, all I think about is you. Please, lets try again. I’ll wait,” he whispers between kisses. “I’ll wait.”

“Geno.” Sid puts an inch of distance between them.

“Please, Sid, please. We give up too easily last time. We can do this. I’ll wait until we retire. I don’t care.”

“Geno,” Sid says again and Geno steps back enough to nod. He looks like he’s bracing himself for the worst with his hand resting on the counter and his head bent towards the ground. He has his eyes closed.

He doesn’t even open them when Sid slides a hand up his chest and covers his heart with his palm.

“We’ll tell the team tomorrow.”

Geno’s head snaps up and his eyes are full of unshed tears.

“I trust them. We’ll get chirped to hell and back but it’ll be worth it. For you it’s worth it.”

“You sure, Sid.”

Sid nods and brings their foreheads together.

“Absolutely.”


	11. One More Chapter

“One more chapter, Geno, please.”

“You already con me into reading four tonight. Long chapters. You should have been to sleep thirty minutes ago.”

“Please,” she begs and bats her eyes and Sid knows Geno is nothing but putty in her hands. “Just one more.”

“You already say that. Very smooth talker. Going to be a lawyer like your daddy.”

Ella smiles, pleased with the comparison and looks towards the doorway.

Her face lights up when she sees him standing there.

“Daddy!”

Sid steps into the room and Geno leans over Ella to kiss her cheek, a loud, smacking kiss and that makes her giggle and throw her arms out to hug him.

He sets the book down on her nightstand and smiles at Sid when he passes him.

Sid reaches out and grabs the hem of Geno’s sweater.

“Don’t leave yet,” Sid says softly. “I want to talk to you.”

Geno looks down at the hand fisted against his stomach and nods.

Sid lets him go and turns all his attention back on his daughter.

He sits beside her bed in the chair Geno had vacated and waits until he hears footsteps down the stairs to ask “You really like, Geno, huh?”

She nods, messy ponytail flapping up and down. “He’s one of my best friends.”

Sid smiles warmly at her and covers the top of her head with his hand. She’s getting so big.

“Yeah. Mine too.”

 

Sid moved here four years ago with a painful divorce behind him an infant in the back seat of his minivan and their whole future ahead of them.

He was unhooking the car seat and fumbling with his keys when Geno came bounding out of the house next door.

Sid had immediately been wary of him but Geno quickly turned out to be the warmest person Sid had ever met.

He was friendly and open, unguarded like nothing had ever hurt him.

Sid was envious and then just a bit jealous when it was clear Ella adored him.

Sid had knocked on his door in the middle of the night with a wailing ten month old in his arms at a total loss and Geno simply nodded and plucked her from his arms then ushered Sid in with a hand on his shoulder.

Sid woke up on Geno’s lumpy couch and the first thing he saw was Ella asleep on Geno’s chest in the armchair across from him.

He had a protective hand spanning her whole back and his head was tipped back, snoring.

“You know, can watch anytime,” Geno had said as Sid cradled Ella against his chest..”

“I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“Work from home. No trouble at all.”

Sid didn’t trust anyone else with her. No one from any of the nanny agencies clicked and he could only stay out of work for so long before they gave his job to someone else.

Sid gave him his cell and work number and the number for the front desk at the firm. His work email and his personal one and the one he set up to use when stores asked for his email to get discounts and-

“Don’t need your fax number, Sid.”

“In case something happens with my cell phone and my desk phone somehow gets disconnected and sometimes my email is a little spotty and-.”

Geno shut him up by pulling him into a hug. It was the first one he had gotten since Seth signed the divorce papers in front of him the gave him an awkward hug, patted him on the back, and wished him the best.

Geno’s was much nicer and Sid sank into it.

“Everything with be fine,” Geno said with his lips close to his ear. His voice made him shiver.

Eventually Geno started coming over to watch Ella. He didn’t have to transport toys over and Sid’s DVR was already full of her favorite shows

Plus Sid got treated to the sight of a still sleep rumpled Geno feeding Ella small bits of waffles as he drank his morning coffee.

Ella grabbed a piece from his fingers and before she even put it in her mouth she was reaching for another.

Geno popped it in his mouth before she could grab it and chewed noisily, much to Ella’s delight.

“I assume you teach her about sharing when I’m not here.”

“Of course, Sid, best baby sitter.”

He glanced over at him then dumped a few pieces onto the plate in front of Ella.

“You know, was thinking,” Geno said, sounding a bit shy. “Maybe sometime you come over for dinner. Or maybe we go out. Might be fun.”

Sid put his coffee down and reached for his tie that was draped over the kitchen chair.

He looped it over his neck.

“I can’t date you. You’re really nice and cute and it’s got nothing to do with you personally but I just can’t.”

“Sid-.”

“You know the reason I got divorced? He didn’t even want kids. I think he just said he did to shut me up and we went through the whole adoption process he looked at her and he looked at me and decided that we weren’t enough. I guess I’m lucky she won’t remember him.” He put her hand on the top of her head, still small enough to fit in his palm. “That way she won’t be asking about him. But she’s going to grow up and remember things and were neighbors and if something happened with us, something bad, that wouldn’t be fair to her. She would have to see you everyday and constantly wonder why she wasn’t enough. Plus if you hurt her in any way I would have to kill you and then I’d lose my baby sitter. I’m also really busy with work.”

He stopped his rant and looked up at Geno. Geno was looking back with wide eyes and Sid went red.

“Unless you were just asking me to dinner as a friend and you’re not even into guys and I was just being presumptuous because if so I can’t date you because I have to go die of embarrassment.”

Geno huffed a laugh and pointed towards the tie.

Sid stepped forward and Geno started to retie it for him.

“Was asking you out as more than friends. _Very_ into guys, _very very_ into you. But I understand. I don’t want to be murdered by you.”

Sid smiled and smoothed the fabric down.

“I’m glad we understand each other then. Thank you for watching her today. Have fun.”

Geno patted him on the chest and smiled and for the first time Sid thought seriously about kissing him goodbye.

He fretted all day at work.

Thinking that he ruined everything and he’d have to find a new babysitter and he’d never be able to find one as good as Geno.

He should have just gone out with him.

But when he got home Geno and Ella were bundled up on the couch together watching Jeopardy. They both smiled up at him when Sid walked in and Geno told him there was a plate for him still warm in the oven and wished him a goodnight after kissing Ella’s forehead.

Same as any other day.

 

Geno’s at the sink washing dishes when Sid steps into the kitchen. .

He stayed with Ella until she fell asleep the kissed her head and worked up the courage to come downstairs.

This would be his first risk in five years. He couldn’t always play it safe.

He clears his throat and Geno glances over his shoulder.

“She asleep? So sorry, Sid. Know it’s late but she keeps asking for one more chapter and you know, that face, so hard to say no.”

Sid steps behind him and places a hand on his lower back. Geno stops talking and stands up straight, squaring his shoulders.

“Geno.”

He shuts off the water and turns around and Sid steps in close, the toes of his dress shoes butting up against Geno’s sock covered ones. They’re a bright purple with pink hearts and they look like something Ella picked out of him when they went on a Target run and Sid’s heart aches.

“Geno,” he says again then stretches up and presses their mouths together in a sweet kiss.

It doesn’t take more than a second for Geno to kiss back with big, damp hands framing his face and his warm body pressing in against his own.

Geno breaks away first with a gasp but he keeps him close, hands still on the side of his face.

“I don’t know if you still want to….” Sid trails off and Geno rests their foreheads together.

“Been wanting, Sid,” he whispers. “So much.”

“So. Dinner tomorrow? I’ll get home early. We’ll eat together and then…”

Geno drops a hand from his face and links their fingers together. “Then anything.” He says and brings Sid’s hand up to his lips and kisses his knuckles. “Everything.”


	12. Stay There. I'm Coming To Get You

It’s late and Geno is tired and his voice is still a little hoarse from his argument with Sid and all he wants to do is sleep for the next twelve hours.

Maybe when he wakes up he’ll feel better. He’ll have a clearer head and hopefully he’ll be able to patch up the gaping hole in his and Sid’s relationship. He’s not ready for it to end over an argument that he can’t even remember how it started.

He’s not ready for it to end at all. Ever.

He lays his head back against the pillow and closes his eyes but he can’t get his mind to quiet down.

He can’t decide if he should buy Sid candy or flowers or new stick tape as an apology and he tosses and turns for ten minutes before he flops onto his back and throws his hands over his face.

When his phone rings it’s almost a relief.

He throws his arm out towards the bedside table and fumbles around for it before he’s finally able to pick it up.

Sid’s face lights up the screen and Geno sits up and presses accept.

“Sid?”

There’s static and loud music and then a closing door before he hears Sid breathe into the phone.

“Geno?”

“Yes, Sid. It’s me.”

“Why did you call me, I’m mad at you.”

“You called me. Where are you?”

“I don’t know.”

Geno picks up on the slur in his voice. “You drunk, Sid?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Then why you call me?”

Another door closes on Sid’s end and the music seems more muffled.

“Geno,” he says and there’s a definite hiccup to his voice. “I don’t think I feel good.”

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know. Bar. Bathroom. Room is spinning or I am.”

“Sit down somewhere.”

“I already am.”

“Okay. Good. Now where are you?”

“I already told you, I don’t know. You don’t listen. You never listen.”

Geno scrubs his hand over his face. “So drunk,” he mumbles. “Have you been there before? Have we been there?”

Sid answers by groaning into the phone. “My head hurts.”

“Okay, baby-”

“Don’t call me that,” Sid grumbles and Geno huffs a laugh as he tries to find his shoes in the dark.

“Okay, Sid. Can you ask someone what the name of the bar is?”

“There’s no one in here.”

“Can you go find someone.”

“I told you,” he says slowly, “the room is spinning.”

“Okay, stay where you are.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Geno takes a calming breath through his nose, in and out, then says “what you want me to do, Sid.”

“I don’t know,” he says quietly. “I don’t feel well. I don’t like fighting with you and I don’t like mixing beer and perogies and tacos at the same time.”

“Careful, Sid, they kick you out of Pittsburgh for that last one.”

“They were so cheap though. Twenty bucks went so far. Do you remember our first date here and you ate like, seven tacos and then you wouldn’t kiss me because you said your breath smelled like jalapenos.”

“Yeah,” he says softly as the memory washes over him. He dug through the center console and the glove compartment before he finally found an old, squashed piece of gum and gave it four chews before he spit it out and hauled Sid in for a kiss. It was their first kiss and they only got better from there. “Sid. Stay there. I’m coming to get you.”

“It’s so late,” Sid says sleepily into the phone. “You have work in the morning.”

“You more important. I’ll be right there.”

“Okay,” Sid says quietly and Geno stays on the phone, neither of them speaking, until he pulls up outside of the bar.

It’s getting near closing time and Geno waves off the bartender when he tries to tell him that and makes a beeline towards the bathrooms in the back.

Sid’s in the last stall sitting on the floor between the toilet and the wall. His knees are tugged up against his chest and he doesn’t look up until Geno slides down to the floor next to him.

“Hi, G.”

“Hi, Sid.”

He reaches a hand out and smooths his sweaty hair off Sid’s forehead and Sid leans into the touch.

“You didn’t have to come get me.”

“Yes I did. They closing bar soon. Lock you in here.”

Sid tucks his chin into the palm of his hand Geno rubs his thumb over his cheekbone.

“I don’t like fighting with you,” Sid says.

“You said that.”

“I don’t remember. I remember….we yelled a lot and then I came here and ate and drank and some guy tried to hit on me and I told him I had a boyfriend, hopefully still I have a boyfriend,” he slurs and Geno nods. “And then I came in here and called you. I don’t want to break up.”

“We’re not going to break up. Just one fight.”

“It was a stupid fight. I’m sorry. I don’t even know what it was about or why I was so mad. I just took off and I kept thinking if that was it…if that’s how things ended with us-.” His voice hitches and Geno pushes himself up on his knees and kisses his forehead.

“We’re not breaking up. You think I let you go that easy? Sid, show up at your place and plant millions of flowers in your front yard. Rent out all the skating rinks.. Make all the peanut butter and chocolate recipes on the internet just for you.”

Sid laughs and covers Geno’s hand with his own.

“Can you just take me home? That would be enough.”

“Course, Sid.” He stands up and tries to help Sid up. “You have your keys?”

Sid grabs for his arms. “I mean your house. I want to go home with you. That’s what I meant.”

Geno nods and presses another kiss to the side of Sid’s face as Sid unsteadily gets to his feet.

“Okay, Sid. Anywhere you want.”

Sid wraps his arm around Geno’s waist and rests his head on his shoulder as Geno walks him to his car.


	13. Back Of The Library

_Fall_

There’s one table with two chairs tucked into the back corner of the library.

Sid is the only one that ever sits there.

It’s far from the entrance and there isn’t a place to charge your phone or laptop.

He thinks it’s perfect. It’s quiet and secluded and he gets more work done there then he could ever get done in his dorm room.

He’s proofreading his paper on propaganda during World War II when someone clears their throat.

Sid rolls his eyes and looks up.

The guy is tall and lanky in a black sweatshirt and ripped jeans. There’s a backwards baseball cap on his head and he’s clutching a stack of bright gold papers in his hand.

He’s smiling with all his teeth showing.

He peels off one of the papers and hands it over. “Want to rush our fraternity?”

Sid looks at the paper but doesn’t take it.

Sigma Chi, followed by the Greek letters and then an address that Sid recognizes as being on the other side of campus. There’s an email address and a few different phone numbers followed by a twitter and Instagram handle.

“You guys were the frat that got the cops called on you the first week of school, weren’t you?”

“Not our fault,” he says. “Stupid frat across the street. Bunch of guys from Philly being douchebags. Come over to our house and call the cops. Stupid. Don’t rush them. Why you sit all the way back here,” he asks as he looks around. “So lonely back here.”

“It’s quiet,” Sid says flatly. “I like it. No one bothers me.”

“Oh.” He says. “Think we got off on bad foot.” He holds his hand out and Sid is slow to take it. “Can call me Geno. So sorry for interrupting.”

“I’m Sid. It’s okay.”

“Sid,” he says with a smile then shakes the flyer at him but doesn’t take it. “You want to join?”

“Not really. I don’t know if I would have time with hockey and work and you know I’m a junior, right? I’m not a freshman.”

Geno shrugs. “Don’t care about age. Don’t discriminate based on age, religion, sexuality, gender, or sex.” He ticks them off on his fingers. “Anyone can join.”

“That’s very progressive of you.”

Geno frowns and tries to take the flyer back. “If you don’t like then forget it.”

Sid yanks it away from him. “I mean it’s a good thing. Not everyone is like that.”

Geno shrugs. “Try to do better, you know? Other fraternities sometimes, give us all a bad name.”

“So if a woman wanted to join you’d let her?”

“Guess so. Never happened before.”

“Because you wouldn’t be able to find a woman who would willingly spend that much time with you guys?”

Geno laughs. “Funny, Sid. We need that. Should think about joining.” He looks around. “Does anyone ever wander back here ever?”

“Sometimes couples come back here to make out. It’s awkward.”

Geno raises his eyebrows. “Really?”

Sid nods and changes the subject. “Like I said, I don’t think I would have time.”

“Don’t take much. Volunteer a little, party a little, make lots of friends. Figure out some way to prank Philly guys across the street.”

“I don’t think so, sorry.”

He hands the flyer back but Geno won’t keep it.

“Keep it. Maybe you change your mind.”

“Is this one of those things where if you don’t hand out all the flyers you get in trouble with the president or something.”

“I’m the president,” Geno says. “Never get in trouble.”

“For some reason I don’t believe that.”

Geno laughs. “My number is on there if you want to call me to tell me you’ve changed your mind.”

“I don’t think I’ll change my mind.”

“Then call me for something else.”

Geno winks before he walks away. A bright red leaf sticks out of his hood. He doubts he’ll find it before he takes the sweatshirt off for the night.

Sid watches him go then tucks the flyer into his bag and gets back to work.

 

_Winter_

 

It’s warm in the back corner of the library but Geno brings the cold in with him.

Snow is sticking to his boots and he just smells like ice cold air when he pulls out the chair and sits beside him, carefully setting down two paper cups from the coffee shop on campus.

Sid immediately reaches for his latte.

Geno’s cheeks are bright pink and his nose and the tips of his ears are red. “Sid. So cold.”

“Maybe if you wore an actual hat instead of that,” he nods to the baseball cap on his head, “you’d be a little warmer.”

“This makes me look good.”

Sid hums as Geno pulls off his thick knitted mittens.

Sid pauses with the lip of the coffee cup on his lip and jokes, “did you mom make you those?”

Geno lights up. “Yes. Send me them in my last care package. Take a while to get here from Russia. You like? I can get her to make you a pair. What your favorite colors?”

“She should make you a warmer hat.”

“If I tell her I’m cold she’s going to knit me a whole outfit. Hey, you see us at game on Saturday?”

“Yes, I did, you were all very embarrassing so thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome. You like the sign? Olli did that all himself. Art major.”

“He did he all himself?”

Geno nods.

“Because he really got the shape of my ass down.”

“Well.” Geno fiddles with the lid of his own cup. “Maybe he had a little help.”

“Nice. Thanks.”

“It’s why I always walk a half step behind you. Need inspiration for posters.” He puts his hand on Sid’s elbow. “It’s okay we come to game, right?”

“It’s fine. It’s nice actually. I haven’t had that many people cheering for me since I was little.”

“Good. Have to talk to Olli about making more posters.”

“Oh, I don’t know-.”

“Lots of things rhyme with Sid. We figure something out. It’ll be cute.”

“Geno-.”

“Next game is away, isn’t it? I have car and so does Tanger. I think we can all fit. Maybe Jake sits on someone’s lap.”

“I’m sure you guys have something better to do than driving two hours one way for a hockey game.”

“Just because you decide not to join doesn’t mean you’re not important to us. Still friends, we want to support you.”

Sid smiles at him over the lid of the cup. “Thank you for the coffee.”

“Sure. Figure you’ll be here real late before winter break. Need caffeine.”

“I have so much work to do,” he whines.

“Want me to leave so you can concentrate?”

Sid shakes his head. “No. You can stay if you want.”

Geno nods. “Yeah. I’m want.”

 

_Spring_

 

Geno huffs into his arms and tips his head to the side to look at Sid.

“Sid. Too nice out for this.”

“Just because it starts getting warmer out doesn’t mean I can stop studying.”

“What is the point. Next year you’re going to be playing professional hockey.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You already sign contract.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going anywhere yet. They might not want me.”

“They want you, Sid. Be crazy not to. Just take little break. When was the last time you saw the sun?”

“I walked here from my dorm. It was sunny then.”

“Sid,” Geno groans. “Snow finally melted and you don’t even need a jacket. Please, come take walk with me.”

“I need to study.”

“You’ve read the same page five times. I’ve been watching.”

“That’s because you’ve been talking and I haven't been able to concentrate,” he snaps and Geno drops his arms off the table and sits up straight in his chair.

“Sorry, Sid. Graduation is so close-.”

“I know it’s close.”

Geno presses his lips together into a thin line.

They both turn to the sound of footsteps coming towards them and a couple come stumbling out between the shelves, hands all over each other.

Geno clears his throat and they break apart.

“Shit, sorry guys,” the guy says and the girl buries her face into his shoulder.

Sid rolls his shoulders and sets his highlighter down.

“I can take a ten minute break but that’s it.”

Geno’s out of his chair before he even finishes the sentence. He pats the guy’s shoulder. “Watch his stuff for us, okay?”

The ground is a little bit damp and there is a bench a few feet away but Geno dragged him by the wrist to the green patch of grass in the middle of the common.

Sid picks at the blades and worries about his finals .

“You’re stressing me out,” Geno says.

He’s sitting back on his hands with his legs spread out in front of him. His eyes are closed and his face is tipped towards the sun.

“You look pretty stress free.”

Geno snorts and drops down onto his back, folding his hands beneath his head.

“No. Worry about everything.”

“Why? You have an internship at the zoo lined up. Isn’t that exactly what you want?”

Geno cracks one eye open. “Unpaid internship. Maybe nothing more comes of it. Maybe they let me go. Maybe I never pay my loans back. Maybe I have to go back to Russia and I never see you again. It’s a lot to worry about it.”

Sid’s stunned. Geno’s always been so carefree. He had no idea.

“You could have told me that. You’ve been listening to me complain about finals for weeks.”

“Is okay to complain, Sid.”

Sid lies down beside him and squints into the sun as moisture seeps through his shirt.

“You know, even if you had to go back to Russia you’d still see me. I’m going to have that big NHL contract. I’ll come visit.”

Geno laughs. “You pay my student loans too?”

“I mean, I can.”

Geno swats at Sid’s chest then drops his arm next to Sid’s. “No. Never. I’ll figure it out. Maybe I name penguin after you.”

“Make sure it’s a good one.”

“Cutest one with best waddle.”

Sid laughs. “You’re going to be fine.”

“You too. You’re gonna be great. Don’t forget about me when you’re a big star.”

“That would never happen. You have to come to my games. Bring Olli. He can make more signs.”

Geno knocks the back of his hand against Sid’s and Sid grabs at it. He laces their fingers together and leaves them resting their, intertwined on the grass between them.

 

_Spring. Pt. 2_

 

The book shelf is cutting into Sid’s back but Geno is pressed against his front and his cologne is steadily overpowering the musty smell of the books.

Sid has his hands fisted in the front of Geno’s graduation gown and Geno has his hands in Sid’s hair as they kiss and kiss.

“Wanted to do this for so long,” Geno says when Sid starts to kiss down the side of his neck. “First time I see you back here. So serious. Knew you’d be best kisser.”

Sid hums and shuts him up with his lips back on his lips.

Geno pulls away and holds Sid’s face in his hands. “Call me lots over the summer, right.” He tips his head to the side. “Do I have to pay for calls from Canada?”

“I’ll pay for it. It’ll be worth it. Don’t you have to go meet your parents? They came all the way from Russia and you ran off.”

Geno kisses him again, a quick peck on the lips. “They can wait five more minutes.


	14. Single Dad

“When is Geno getting here?”

Sid looks up from the baby carrots that he’s packing into plastic snack bags. Noah is standing between the kitchen and the living room wearing his Penguins blanket like a cape.

“He’ll be here in ten minutes.”

“Is he late?”

“No, he has ten minutes.”

“But the big hand-.”

“The big hand is the minute hand. The small is the hour hand.”

“Oh,” Noah says and Sid puts the carrots in the fridge and ruffles his hair on his way by. He still has so much to do, his bags are barely packed for the road trip and he still has to set out Noah’s clothes for the week. Not that Noah or Geno will follow that.

Sid gets distracted in the playroom and starts to scoop legos into the bin.

“I want to show him my loose tooth.”

“Is it looser today than it was four days ago when you last saw him?”

“So much looser.”

“Then I’m sure he’ll be very excited to see it.”

“How much longer until he gets here now.”

“Umm-.”

There’s a knock on the door before Sid can answer and Noah takes off running, blanket flying behind him as he skids around the corner.

Sid hears the door open and then Noah laughing.

“Getting much too big for this.”

When he makes it around the corner to the foyer Geno’s bag is by his feet and Noah is propped on his hip. Noah has his mouth open and is wiggling his tooth with his tongue.

“You can use your key, you don’t have to knock.”

Geno and Noah share a look before Geno turns his smile on Sid. “You need to go pack. Going to be late. Know you hate that.”

“How do you know I haven’t packed yet?”

“It’s been four years, Sid. Know you by now.”

Geno had shown up four years ago like an angel sent from god via a nanny service.

Sid had newly adopted and nine month old Noah in his arms slapping his tiny hands across his face when he opened the door and all Sid could do is stare in confusion.

“I’m Geno, from the agency,” he had said, voice cheery and friendly and then it dropped when he registered the look on Sid’s face. "Today right day, right?”

Sid blinked. Behind him the oven timer was going off and the phone was ringing and Noah was starting to get fussy in his arms.

“Yes, yes, sorry. Today is the right day. I’ve just…come in, please.”

Sid stepped out of the way and invited him into the chaos of his house.

Geno held his hands out. “I take, you go,” he said as he tipped his head towards the kitchen and the timer and the phone. Sid held Noah a little tighter and Geno pulled his hands back. “Or you keep and I go?”

Sid couldn’t remember the last time he put Noah down and remembered his mother telling him that it was okay to take breaks.

“Here,” Sid had said then dashed into the kitchen to pull the casserole out of the oven.

Peering around the kitchen corner he called Flower and kept his voice a hushed whisper.

“I didn’t expect him. I guess I was expecting a woman.”

“Why? Because taking care of children is women’s work?”

“No,” Sid had said, horrified. “I don’t think that. I just think, nanny and-.”

“Ugh, don’t be sexist. They sent you his file. You knew it was a dude.”

“I haven’t slept in like, thirty six hours.”

“Well it’s a good thing he’s there then.”

“Flower. I don’t know. He’s Russian.”

“So,” Flower said cautiously.

“Aren’t they kind of severe with their kids?”

Geno had Noah on his knees, bouncing him and making funny faces trying to get him to laugh.

“Sidney. Oh my god. Look. If you really feel like this isn’t going to work, if that’s what your gut is telling you, then tell him to leave and have them send you someone new. But if this is just you being an idiot then get over it and let the man do his job."

Sid whined. “I don’t know if I can leave my kid with a stranger.”

“Well it’s going to be pretty hard to fit a bassinet on the bench during games.”

Sid groaned and hung up.

“Everything okay,” Geno had asked when Sid finally worked up the nerve to enter the kitchen instead of just peering into it. Noah was laughing in his lap.

“It’s fine,” Sid said. “Why don’t I show you around?”

Sid was still wary until two weeks after their first meeting when Noah would not stop crying at three o’clock in the morning and Sid’s hands were shaking as he dialed Geno’s number.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Give you my number, tell you to call me anytime. It’s okay. What’s wrong?”

“He won’t stop crying and I can’t find anything wrong with him and I’m so tired.”

“Okay, Sid, okay, it happen sometimes. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay because nothing I do is right and I cannot get him to stop crying and-.” He broke off into a sob and on the other end of the line heard a car engine start.

“Where are you right now?”

“I’m at home.”

“No, where in the house?”

“I’m in Noah’s room, why?”

“Sid, go downstairs.”

“But he’s crying.”

“I know. Close the door, go downstairs and sit. I’ll be right there.”

“But-.”

“Sid. Please. Promise you I’ll be right there.”

Sid did what he asked and rocked back and forth on the couch until Geno’s headlights lit up the living room.

Geno showed up in slippers and sleep pants and Sid covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.

“God, I am so sorry.”

Geno wrapped him in a one armed hug and set his chin on the top of his head. “Not the only one this happens too, Sidney. Good you call me.”

Upstairs Noah was quiet for a moment before he started to wail again. Geno squeezed him tighter then let him go, taking the stairs two at a time with his long legs.

Sid sat back down on the couch with his head in his hands and strained to hear Geno’s soothing voice above the cries of his son.

Sid woke up in the morning slumped over on the couch with an aching neck.

Noah was quiet and Sid tiptoed up the stairs and down the hall.

Geno was asleep in the rocking chair and Noah was babbling happily in his crib.

Breakfast was almost fully cooked by the time Geno came downstairs rubbing at his eyes and looking rumpled and soft.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and pilfered a few cheerios off Noah’s high chair, popping them in his mouth before he sat down at the breakfast bar.

“How you sleep?”

Sid flipped off the burner and turned around.

“Did you think that I would hurt him?”

Geno frowned.

“Last night. You were so adamant that I leave the room. Did you think that I do something to him?”

Geno chewed slowly and then swallowed. “Sid. Has nothing to do with you. Sometimes parents get overwhelmed, especially new parents. Was good that you called me and knew that you needed help. That was so good. Not everyone does that. Never think that you would hurt him but-.”

“Thank you,” Sid interrupted. “Thank you for coming over. I don’t know what I would have done and-.”

His breath hitched and Geno stepped in front of him with his arms out.

“Okay?”

Sid nodded and Geno folded him into a hug. Sid clung to him.

“You put him first,” Sid said. “There’s nothing more that I could ask for.”

“It’s my job. It’s the right thing to do. Promise that’s how it’s always going to be.”

Sid let himself be held until Noah demanded attention by banging his hands against the high chair and Geno peeled away from him.

After that Geno never felt like a stranger again.

Geno is still holding Noah when Sid comes down the stairs with his bag.

“I’m all set. He’s all set. I have his clothes picked out and there are snacks in the fridge.”

Noah and Geno share a look and Sid drops his bag and rolls his eyes.

“Not that either of you will stick to what I had planned but at least I tried.”

“Always follow.”

“Uh huh. Is that why the other parents at school always tell me how great it is that I let him dress himself?”

“Good for creativity.”

“Uh huh.”

“Gonna be late, Daddy.”

“I’ve got a few minutes.” Sid leans in and kisses his forehead. “You be good, okay? Listen to Geno and your teachers.”

“You be good, too,” Geno says. “Be safe. We’ll be watching.”

“Not live. Games will be on way too late.”

They share another look.

“I mean it. They’re on school nights.”

“Only watch regulation time. Your job to make sure it doesn’t go into overtime.”

“Fine, he’s going to be cranky if he doesn’t get enough sleep but that’s on you. Have fun.”

“Always have fun.” He bounces Noah up higher on his hip. “Never cranky with me, right?”

Noah shakes his head quickly and Sid puts his hands on the side of his face to still him. “Alright, you win. I’ll see you in a week. I’ll miss you.”

Noah holds his arms out to wrap them around Sid’s neck.

“Try to keep that tooth in until I get home, okay. I want to see it before the Tooth Fairy takes it.”

“She’ll still come even if you’re not here won’t she?”

“Of course.” He’s set aside five dollars for Geno to swap with the tooth if he needs to. “What does she want with me? All my teeth are already out.”

“And fake,” Noah says and both Sid and Geno laugh.

“I have to get going.” He kisses Noah again and before he can stop himself he’s leaning in to kiss Geno’s cheek as well.

He barely catches himself before it happens and he pulls back.

“I’m sorry,” he says with a shake of his head. “I don’t know why I did that.”

Geno smiles softly at him. “It’s okay.”

“I got distracted thinking about the Tooth Fairy.”

“Is okay, really.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“If that’s what you want, Sid.”

“I-.”

“Daddy, you have to go,” Noah says and it snaps Sid out of whatever he’s feeling for his nanny and he grabs his bag.

“You’re right, I do. I’ll miss you and I love you.”

Noah puts his arms back around Geno’s neck to hold on. “Love you.”

“Geno,” Sid says but then doesn’t know what else to say. He takes a deep breath and finally settles on “bye.”

Geno laughs. “Bye, Sid. See you in a week. Text you lots, keep you updated.”

“Thanks.”

“Okay, now go. They leave you in Pittsburgh.”

“They’re not going to leave him,” Noah says. “He’s the Captain.”

“Don’t know. Give Tanger the A and now he’s eyeing that C.”

“Daddy, go.”

 

Sid checks his phone when he gets to the airport.

There are ten texts from Geno, all of them of Noah smiling with a gap between his teeth.

Sid tips his head back against the headrest. “Damnit.”

He’s still looking through the photos when the plane takes off and Flower leans over to look.

“Aww. Kiddo lost his first tooth.”

“Yeah.” Sid tips the phone towards him. “It’s been loose for awhile. I kind of thought he would make it until I got home. I missed it.”

“That happens sometimes.”

“I don’t like it. I got to see him crawl and stand for the first time but I missed his first steps.”

“G sent you that video right away, didn’t he?”

“Yeah. He’s always does. He’s really good at making me feel like I’m there but I’m not.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. Everyone told you this wasn’t going to be easy, just worth it.”

“Of course it’s worth it.” He pockets his phone. “I’m worried Noah likes Geno more than he likes me.”

“First of all, I’m sure that’s not true and second of all I’m pretty sure that’s normal.”

Sid frowns at him. “What?”

“They spend a lot of time together. He sees Geno has a friend but you’re his Dad. That means a lot. Everything you do you do for him. If he doesn’t understand that now he will when he’s older.” Flower squeezes his knee. “Noah adores you. You know that.”

“I know. But you know I wouldn’t really blame him if he liked Geno more. He’s so much fun and he’s so kind and sweet and tall…”

Flower furrows his brows.

“I almost kissed him.”

“Holy shit,” Tanger leans over the aisle and gets halfway into Sid’s lap. “What kind of porno life are you about to be living?”

Sid shoves him off his lap. “Shut up.”

“The nanny,” Tanger says.

“Geno. He doesn’t suddenly stop having a name because Sid almost kissed him.” Flower says back. “How did you almost kiss him?”

“I don’t know. I was saying goodbye to Noah and it just seemed like the natural thing to do. I caught myself but he definitely knew what I was about to do.”

“You should have just done it,” Tanger says, “we’re all tired of watching the two of you pine.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tanger laughs. “Sure. We’ve all seen the two of you at family skates.”

“Starting with the fact that you invite him to family skates,” Flower adds.

“Noah would want him there.”

“Sure, just Noah. Just ignore the way you have hearts in your eyes every time you look at him or he calls you.”

“It would be completely unprofessional. I employ him.”

“Straight people do it all the time and you wouldn’t even be leaving anyone for him. You two are just falling in love.”

“Awww,” Flower coos.

“Shut up. I can’t. Noah loves him so much and if anything happened-.”

“So you’re just going to be miserable for the rest of your life? How is that healthy?”

“I’m not miserable.”

“No, but you will be as soon as someone comes along and snatches Geno up. He’s a great guy. It’s going to happen.”

“Then I hope he’s very happy.”

Tanger groans. “Sidney.”

Sid yanks his headphones out of his bag and jams then in his ear. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Flower and Tanger roll their eyes at each other but thankfully drop it.

 

They win the game in regulation and after the media and showers and post game meeting Sid makes his way to his hotel room and pulls his phone out of his bag.

There are more texts from Geno. Photos of Noah sitting up on the couch in his Crosby jersey with a bowl of popcorn in his lap.

As the photos progress Noah is slumping over on the couch, more and more, until finally he’s completely asleep with a blanket tucked around him.

_Fell asleep during the second period. Recorded it. Will watch at breakfast._

_Great goal. Best )))))))_

Sid smiles down at his phone and hits the call button.

It takes a few rings before Geno picks up.

He says _hello_ around a yawn and Sid winces.

“Shit. It is so late there. I don’t know why I can’t get it together today.”

“It’s okay. Tell you you can call me anytime and I mean it. Anytime.”

“I don’t even know why I’m calling,” he says as he smooths out his game day tie. It’s loosely knotted and he can’t wait to take it off. “Thank you for the pictures.”

“Sure. Sorry about the tooth. Know you wanted to be here but he took one bite of carrot and he spit the tooth into my hand.”

“Of course it was the carrots.”

“Has lots of teeth, Sid. You’ll see them in person.”

“Hopefully. The Tooth Fairy came?”

“Yup. He’ll be very excited in the morning. Facetime if it’s not too early.”

“It’s never too early,” Sid says softly. He hears Geno take a deep breath and Sid’s own breath catches in his throat. “Hey, umm.” He tugs at his tie and struggles to get it over his head. When he does he drops it onto the mattress beside him. “Do you want to get dinner sometime,” he asks quickly then squeezes his eyes shut and falls back on the bed.

“You, me, and Noah?”

“I was thinking that maybe he could hang out with Tanger and Alex that night. Or maybe Flower and the girls.”

“Sid.”

“If you think this is inappropriate I totally understand but please don’t leave us. I’ll stop. We’ll never mention it again and I won’t bother you or think about you like this, I swear. I can’t take you away from, Noah. Please.”

“Sid.”

“What?” He throws his arm over his eyes and holds his breath. He might have just screwed this whole thing up for himself and his son. How does he come back from that?”

“Sid,” Geno says, voice as gentle as he’s ever heard it. “Just want to know when.”


	15. Fingernails

It wouldn’t take long for anyone to figure out that Geno has an oral fixation.

For as long as Sid has known him he’s always had something in his mouth.

The collar of his jersey or a towel or the fingers of his gloves.

In the past it’s been something that Sid can ignore. Out on the ice he can focus on hockey and the next shift and what he has to do to make sure the team wins.

But lately that hasn’t been enough to distract him and he can’t seem to stop himself from watching Geno’s mouth.

The way that he bites at his bottom lip until it’s a deep red and shiny with spit when he finally frees it.

When he swirls a lollipop between his front teeth as he’s watching tape, stick held between his fingers as he absentmindedly licks at it and presses it to the middle of his lip as they go over a play again.

Out at a bar after a game when they’re all loose and happy and Geno is tipping back a drink, using his tongue to catch the last drops of it off the corner of his mouth. Pushing his tongue against the inside of his cheek as he leans down and listens to Horny.

Tanger elbows him hard in the ribs.

“What the hell?”

Tanger tips his head towards the group with Geno who has gotten a second drink and is running the opening of the bottle across his lips.

“Stare harder,” Tanger says.

“I’m not staring.”

Tanger hums and rolls his eyes and swings away from him.

Across the room Geno has a row of shots in front of him.

He licks salt off his hand, tongue dragging across his skin, before he downs a shot then sticks a lime wedge between his teeth.

Sid stares at him and Tanger clears his throat loudly.

“Shut up,” Sid says as he brushes past him to head back to the hotel.

He turns around one last time before he walks out the door and watches Geno lick the excess lime juice from his fingers.

They make eye contact and it’s like the rest of the bar, the crowd and the music, all fade away.

Sid flushes hot all over as he finally steps out onto the cold street.

Maybe Geno isn’t the only one with a problem.

 

Geno starts biting his nails in the middle of the four game road trip on the west coast.

Every time Sid turns around Geno has the tip of his finger between his lips, biting his nails down to stubs.

This will be the thing that pushes him over the edge.

He tries to control himself with a deep breath and a shake of his head but then the locker room empties out and it’s only him and Geno.

Geno has his phone in one hand, using his thumb to scroll through and his hand is up by his face, index finger between his lips.

Sid yanks his shirt over his head with more force than necessary and stands up.

“You have to stop doing that.”

Geno looks up from his phone and frowns. The edge of his nail is still between his teeth.

“Putting your fingers in your mouth. You have to stop it. It’s-.” _Distracting, interfering with hockey, turning me on_. “Flu season,” he finishes lamely.

Geno shrugs. “Got the shot.”

“No. It’s not….that’s not…you just need to-.”

He stops when Geno stands and closes the distance between them in one giant step.

“You need to stop. There are germs.”

“No. Don’t think it’s that at all. Germs everywhere in hockey. You put mouth guard down and pick it up all the time. So many germs.”

“That’s different.”

Geno takes one more small step forward and Sid finds himself with his back against the side of his stall with nowhere to go.

“Yes, it’s different when it’s me, isn’t it. See you watching, Sid. Always watching.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Geno taps his finger against his lips and Sid’s eyes fall to it immediately. By the time they snap up to his eyes Geno’s smiling and Sid knows he’s been caught.

“Think you like,” he says. “Think you think about a lot. Maybe you want to do something about it.” He ducks his head and brushes his lips against Sid’s temple when he speaks. “You can if you want.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Geno rolls his eyes and brings Sid’s hand to his mouth. The tips of his fingers drag his bottom lip down. His middle finger gets caught and Geno’s quick to pull it in between his teeth.

As soon as the tip of his tongue presses at the pad of his finger Sid groans, pulls his hand back, and replaces his finger with his mouth for a kiss.

Geno’s mouth is even better than he expected it to be as he kisses back with interest.

“You’ve been driving me crazy,” Sid mumbles. “You’ve been doing it on purpose?”

“Took you so long. Thought maybe you weren’t interested. Didn’t know what I was going to do next.” He drops his hand to the front of Sid’s shorts. “You have an idea what I can do next?”

Sid pants into his shoulder. “My hotel room. Now.”

Geno happily follows him out of the locker room.


	16. Tremble

Sid is a professional.

He’s new to the organization, only on his second full week as an athletic trainer and he’s not about to do anything to screw that up.

But still, he’s only human and he has eyes and he can’t stop himself from watching Geno stretch on the other side of the room as he tidies up the free weights for the fifth time.

He thought that his crush would taper off when he got the job. He’d see that Geno wasn’t half as good as he built him up to be in his mind, that he’d be rude or impossible to get along with or smell especially awful after a game.

But Geno was polite and friendly and embarrassingly funny, doing whatever he had to do to make sure the rest of the trainers laughed and he didn’t smell any worse than the rest of the guys as he stripped out of his sweat soaked gear in the locker room.

It’s gotten so much worse and there’s nothing Sid can do about it but pine from afar and hope Geno never finds out.

He’d have to quit, change his name, and move to a new city.

He really likes it here. He’d rather not have to do that.

But it’s getting late and there are only so many times he can fuss with the weights.

He knows he should go but Geno is sitting on the floor with the soles of his shoes pressed together and his legs are spread in a butterfly stretch.

Wild horses couldn’t pull him away from this sight.

Geno bends at the waist and leans down towards the open space between his thighs. He groans as he stretches and Sid drops the ten pound weight he’s holding.

It narrowly misses his foot and Geno chuckles.

“Sid,” he says as he straightens his long legs out and reaches his arms above his head. “Come spot.”

“What?”

Geno smiles and shakes his head as he gets himself to his feet. He tips his head towards the leg press machine and sets up the weights.

“It’s really late, Geno. Shouldn’t you be headed home?”

“You’re still here,” he says as he takes a seat.

“You really don’t need a spotter with that.”

“Fine.” Geno presses against the weights, his thighs trembling as he straightens his legs, holds, and then slowly bends them again. “Put on too much weight, crush myself, team find my body in the morning.”

Sid sits down on the bench next to him with a heavy sigh and tries not to be too charmed by the way Geno isn’t even trying to hide his smile.

“Nice to have company,” Geno says. “You almost done with weights anyways, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Geno hums. “You like Pittsburgh so far?”

Sid brightens. “Yeah, it’s great. I’m so lucky to be here and working for the Pens-.”

“Sid,” Geno says with a laugh. “You play hockey ever?”

“Yes.”

“Can tell. Give hockey media answer. Everything so positive all the time, but never really say anything.”

“I said I like it here.”

“You do anything fun yet? Go out?”

“Not yet.”

“Don’t like fun?”

“I like fun.”

“Just don’t like having any.”

“I don’t know where to go. I don’t trust the internet and I don’t want to waste my time.”

“Sometimes that’s the most fun. Figuring things out on your own.” He pauses to extend his legs again, the slowly breathes out through his nose before bending them and resting. He gives Sid a side long glance. “Figure out what you like.”

“I know what I like,” he says defensively and Geno stares at him for a long, heated moment.

“Maybe you and I go do something sometime,” Geno finally says. “See if we like the same things.”

Geno lets the weights fall too quick and they clank together.

“Can go right now,” he says. “Know a good place for dinner. Quiet. Private. Good place for first date. You like?”

Sid stands and decides to be bold. He holds his hands out to help Geno off the machine.

Geno takes it.

“I think I’d like that a lot.”


	17. Halloween

“Ava, please.”

She stops and turns around.

She swings her wicker basket against her blue and white checkered dress and taps her ruby red slipped against the sidewalk as she waits.

“You can’t run ahead like that. Is dangerous.”

“I’m staying on the sidewalk,” she whines. “Papa you’re going too slow.”

“What is rush?”

“My bucket is only half full. Halloween is almost over.”

“Still plenty of time,” he says as he steps up to her. He puts one hand on the top of her head, mindful of her braids. “And you have lots of candy already. Half full still lots.”

“But what if people run out?”

“Go to Sid’s house next. He never run out.”

There’s something special about Sid that Geno cannot put his finger on.

Every since Geno moved across the cul-de-sac he’s noticed.

And it has nothing to do with Sid’s porcelain skin or red lips or jet black hair or the way that it curls around his temples or against the back of his neck.

It’s that Sid’s lawn is always bright green and the perfect length even though Geno has never seen anyone working on it and the snow never seems to stick to the sidewalk in front of his house or the pathway up to his front porch.

The flowers in the window boxes are always in bloom and the moment the weather started to lean towards chilly there has been smoke curling out of his chimney, day and night and a group of ravens have seemed to have taken up a permanent residence on the wrought iron gate outside his house.

It’s odd and Geno might be more unnerved if Sid wasn’t so friendly, always taking time to chat with Geno and Ava in the morning when he’s getting ready to take her to school and in the afternoon he always asks her how her day was.

He smiles and nods along as she tells him all about her spelling test and fractions and how the boy who is sitting behind her won’t stop kicking her chair.

When she’s done he looks over her head at Geno and asks “and how was your day,” and Geno is always at a loss for words each time he looks into his golden eyes.

He’s made a fool out of himself in front of Sid more times than he can count. He has no idea why he keeps speaking to him.

Sid is kind and sweet and polite and Geno has no doubt that he would never run out of candy for kids on Halloween.

“But what if he does,” Ava says and Geno pushes her gently towards Sid’s open gate.

His yard is perfectly decorated for Halloween.

Hay bales and cornstalks and spooky skeletons and more jack-o-lanterns than Geno can count, each one intricately carved that seemed to spring up overnight.

When Geno asked him about it he got shy and mumbled something about it being a hobby of his.

Geno let it drop.

Once they’re through the gate he leans down and says “then I guess maybe you should hurry up and knock.”

Ava perks up and takes off but she’s too quick and trips over her feet. Her candy goes flying everywhere.

She sits up quick and Geno lets out a sigh of relief that she’s not going to start crying until she sees how scraped up her palms and her left knee is but what really puts her over the edge is the small rip in her skirt and suddenly her face crumples and she starts sobbing.

“Oh, baby, shhh.” He kneels beside her and brushes her hair back from where it’s fallen out of her braids. “It’s okay. Go home and get you fixed up.”

She sobs harder and Geno sits all the way down on the damp cement and pulls her all the way onto his lap.

“What happened?”

Sid’s standing above him and Geno jumps because he didn’t even hear him walk up.

He’s dressed in all black and the bright orange moon casts shadows across his cheekbones.

Geno licks his lips before he answers.

“She tripped. Has some scrapes.”

“My dress,” Ava wails and Geno tucks her head beneath his chin.

“Her costume ripped,” he explains.

“Why don’t you come inside. I have band aids.” He taps Ava’s arm. “And lots of candy.”

She slowly picks her head up and sniffles.

“Okay,” Sid asks and she nods her head and climbs out of her father’s lap.

Sid and Geno scoop all her candy into her basket before Ava takes Geno’s hand and they follow Sid inside.

The interior of Sid’s house is just as whimsy and cute as the outside.

It’s warm from the fire roaring in the fireplace and smells like cinnamon and cloves.

There’s a small kitchen table with intricately designed chairs that he sits Ava down in as he start to gather up bandages and antibacterial cream.

Geno could watch him all night but eventually he gets nosy and starts to really look around.

There’s a worn and comfortable looking chair in the living room, no television but pile after pile of books and glass bottles lined up on all the windowsills, each a different color and shape and filled with different levels of liquid.

When he turns back to the kitchen there’s a small black cat sitting on the counter. He’s not sure how he didn’t see it before.

“Didn’t know you had a cat.”

Sid’s head snaps up and turns around with a handful of brightly colored band-aids.

“Yeah. That’s Puck.”

Ava sniffles a few more times and turns her head to look at him. “Is he friendly?”

“Very,” Sid says as he nods at Puck. Puck jumps off the counter and hops directly onto Ava’s lap and lies down. She runs a hand across his fur and immediately starts purring.

Ava smiles for the first time, just a little thing, but it’s enough to melt Geno’s heart.

“Are you ready to get fixed up?”

“Is it gonna hurt.”

“Not at all,” Sid says at the exact same time Geno says “maybe little.”

They stare at each other for a moment before Sid looks back to Ava with a reassuring smile.

“It won’t hurt at all, I promise.”

He starts with her hands, gently wiping away the pebbles and dirt and Geno winces several times in sympathy, just waiting for her to start crying again because it has to sting but she doesn’t. Instead she swings her legs and Puck purrs in her lap and Sid asks her what her favorite candy is as he moves onto the scrape on her knee.

She picks out a purple band aid for her left hand and a blue one for her right and a yellow polka dot one for her knee and when Sid stands up she’s smiling.

“Amazing,” Geno says. “You doctor or something? Where you learn that?”

Sid brushes him off. “It’s nothing. Ava was just being very brave.”

When Ava lost her first tooth she cried for three hours.

“Now how about some candy.”

“But my dress,” Ava says. “It’s ruined.”

“There’s nothing Sid can do about that,” Geno says. “I can fix when we get home.”

“I can’t go to another house like this. They won’t give me candy.”

“They will. So small, can barely see it.”

“I know it’s there.”

Geno pinches the bridge of his nose. It’s late and she’s tired and he shouldn’t have let her have those snicker bars at the start of the night because he knew she was going to go through a wild sugar crash that would have her acting just like this.

“I can fix it,” Sid says and Geno shakes his head.

“No, Sid. Already did enough. Don’t want to take up anymore of your time. Ava, say thank you and lets go.”

“It won’t take any time at all,” Sid rushes out. He bites his bottom lip. “But it has to be a secret just between the three of us. Do you think you can do that,” he asks Ava and she looks a Geno and waits for him to nod before nodding as well. “Okay.”

He holds his hands above the rip and does take long for his fingertips to start to glow.

Ava’s eyes widen as she watches bright gold and silver drip down from his hands and the fabric starts to stitch itself back together right before their eyes.

He pulls his hands away and sits back on his heels and Ava is still looking at him with a shocked expression.

Puck is still purring away in her lap.

“You’re magic,” she says.

“A witch,” Geno clarifies and it all makes sense. The flowers and the books and the way Puck and the ravens seem to listen to him. The bottles on the windowsills are potions.

Sid looks alarmed until Ava puts her hands on the side of his face and forces him to look at her.

“You’re like Glinda,” she says and Sid laughs.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“I won’t tell anyone. And neither will, Papa. Right, Papa?”

It takes him a moment but finally he nods and Sid pats Ava’s hands and stands up.

“Let me get you your candy.”

He avoids eye contact with Geno as he grabs the bowl of candy from the table just inside the front door and hands it over.

“Take as much as you want,” he says. “Take all of it.”

Ava beams and starts digging through it.

“Sid,” Geno whispers then crooks his finger to call him over. “Won’t tell anyone, Sid. Swear. You take her pain away, will always keep secret.”

“I know.” Sid touches his arm and Geno swears he can feel the warmth through his jacket. “I trust you.”

“Makes sense now. Flowers and jack-o-lanterns. The way you look.”

“They way I look?”

“Yeah, you know. Witches, good witches, always look so pretty. Makes sense.”

Sid’s cheeks turn a warm rose color and he ducks his head.

“You think I’m pretty?”

“Yes, of course. Big crush. Never know how to talk to you. Always make fool of myself.”

“I think you do okay.”

“Papa,” Ava calls. She’s holding an orange peanut butter cup wrapper in her hand and her mouth is stained with chocolate. “I don’t feel good.”

“I can-,” Sid starts to say but Geno shakes his head.

“No, no, you leave her stomach ache. She won’t learn. Come on little one, time to go home.”

“But the candy.”

“You’ve had enough for tonight. Tell Sid thank you.”

She grabs a handful of candy and carefully lifts Puck off her lap into Sid’s waiting hands.

“Thank you, Sid. I know why Papa likes you so much now.”

Geno swats at her as she makes her way to the front door and Sid hides a smile behind his hand.

“Kids. Sometimes they just speak, don’t think.”

“It’s okay. I like you too. You should come over for dinner sometime. Both of you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Soon. Tomorrow? If Ava is feeling better by then.”

“If she not you make her better, okay?”

Sid laughs until Geno ducks in and kisses his cheek.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Sid nods and waves goodbye to Ava.

Geno keeps the smile on his face as they walk across the street to their house, lit only by the light of the moon.


	18. Shower

The shower in the shitty motel room isn’t big enough for the two of them but it was the only place Sid could book a room in a shirt stained with someone else’s blood and not be questioned about it.

He paid cash and the woman behind the counter didn’t even raise an eye at his disheveled state, took the wrinkled bills, counted them, and handed over a key.

“Room 203,” she said, unlit cigarette dangling from her lips.

Sid thanked her then limped his way out to the stolen Sedan to get Geno.

He was barely conscious when Sid looped one of Geno’s arms over his shoulder and wrapped his own around Geno’s waist and slowly walked them both across the parking lot to their room.

Sid took special care to cradle his head as he hauled him into the shower and leaned him back against the tiles then turned the water on full blast.

It’s ice cold and smells a bit like sulfur and Sid runs gentle fingertips through Geno’s hair to dislodge mud and blood and it mixes together and swirls down the train in a rusty trail.

Geno’s cheek is still bleeding and the cut on his temple will require stitches but right now Sid’s only concern is getting him to wake up and talk so he can tell him, __promise him__ , that everything is going to be okay.

“Geno,” Sid says as he pats his face and tips his head back into the water. “Geno, please, c’mon, buddy, please.”

The water is mixing with the tears on his face as he begs and pleads and when Geno suddenly gasps and opens his eyes Sid flings himself forward to hug him.

“Ow,” Geno says weakly and Sid pulls back, an apology on his lips as he shuts off the water.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Geno’s left eye is swollen shut so he can only squint at Sid and frown. “Look terrible, Sid.”

Sid’s hair is matted down with water and his lip is bleeding and his shirt is filthy and sticking to him all over. He feels like shit but he still laughs and leans forward again, slower and more carefully this time, and rests his forehead on Geno’s shoulder.

“Oh thank, god,” he says into the side of Geno’s neck. “Thank god you’re okay. You’re okay, right? Do you remember what happened?”

Geno nods and shrugs Sid off his shoulder but keeps him close with his hand cupped around the back of Sid’s head.

“So stupid, Sid. Shouldn’t have come back for me. Should have left me.”

“You really think I would do that?”

“Not too late,” he says as he tries to get himself out of the shower stall. He winces and grabs at his ribs and Sid holds him down by the shoulders. “Should go now. Look better for you if they find me alone.”

“I’m not doing that. We’ll get you cleaned up. I passed a CVS a few miles back I can go get some supplies. A sewing kit. I’ll stitch you up. I still have some cash on me.”

“Sid.”

“I have a plan. We can stay here tonight and tomorrow we’ll go.”

“Sid.”

“Mexico is only a couple of hundred miles away, we can make it.”

Geno presses his thumb to the middle of his lip. The sting of it breaks Sid out of his rant.

“Going to take more than a needle and thread to fix me. Only slow you down.”

“Then we’ll go slow.”

“Can’t, Sid. You know they’re coming and quick. Probably already tracking car.”

“Then we’ll ditch it and get a new one. There are plenty of them in the parking lot.”

“Sid, you not understand.”

Sid digs his fingertips into Geno’s shoulders and shakes him. “I’m not leaving you,” he bites out. “I wouldn’t before and I’m not now.”

“So dumb.”

“I’ve always been dumb for you.”

“Yeah. Miracle we make it this long.”

Sid knocks their knuckles together then taps Geno’s chest before resting their foreheads together.

“C’mon,” he whispers. “Let’s get you tried off and to bed. We’ll figure the rest out in the morning.”

Sid helps him stand, mindful of his ribs, and hands him a threadbare towel.

“I have eleven dollars on me. How much do you have?”

Geno kisses the corner of his mouth, careful to avoid the cut, instead of answering.

Every muscle in Sid’s body relaxes for the first time since the bullets started flying.

“Dumb for you, too, Sid.” He rubs his thumb across Sid’s bruised knuckles. “How I know we’re gonna be okay.”

 

 

 

Sid scrapes together their last bit of money to buy some supplies at a CVS. A small sewing kit and a jar of the cheapest peanut butter they have (he wrinkles his nose at the amount of ingredients listed on the back and stares longing at the natural jar right next to it as he puts it in his basket) some bandages, and a couple of bottles of water.

Sid’s stitches are neat and even and Geno flinches each time the needle pierces his skin and Sid apologizes but holds him still. He promises the ibuprofen he gave him will kick in soon.

Geno worries about Sid’s wounds but he brushes him off, tells him everything is superficial even though the ache in his side is almost unbearable. He takes 3 ibuprofen in the privacy of the bathroom before he takes a shower, warm this time and with hotel shampoo that smells like lemongrass.

There’s nothing Sid can do about Geno’s ribs so he tells him to be careful and try not to move a lot during the night as he climbs into bed next to him.

Geno immediately disregards that when he rolls to his side to throw an arm over his middle and presses his nose into the side of Sid’s neck.

“Smell good,” Geno mumbles and Sid cups his elbow and rubs his thumb over Geno’s bruised skin.

In the morning he drops the toiletries and a couple of worn face clothes into the small emergency bag he’s had with him since he met up with Geno in Denver.

They get lucky when the car they steal has almost a full tank of gas and a twenty tucked into the glove compartment.

It gets them a meal at McDonald’s and almost all the way to the border, Sid driving and Geno napping through the lingering pain with his head against the window and his hand on Sid’s thigh.

The guard at the border takes a long look at their passports and Geno’s black eye before waving them through and Sid pulls off the road a few miles later when he realizes his hands are shaking.

“Okay,” Geno tells him, hand squeezing his knee, “is okay.”

Sid rests his forehead against the wheel and breathes. When he’s finally able to lift it Geno is looking at him, looking broken and beat up but so full of trust and Sid nods and starts the car and keeps driving.

They find a small house on the coast and work odd jobs to pay for rent.

Eventually Sid finds a steady job out on a fishing boat.

He spends the whole day outside and comes home with a golden tan and sandy feet and when he kisses Geno he tastes like salt.

Geno learns how to make jewelry from the woman who lives next door and sells it to the tourists that flood the town every spring.

“Stupid frat boys,” Geno tells Sid as he’s working. Sid watches his large hands hold small beads as he carefully threads them onto twine. “Pay anything for souvenir.”

Sid takes another swig of his Tecate, sets the bottle down and and pulls Geno into the bedroom. There’s a breeze coming off the water as Geno puts those hands on his skin.

The woman next door is named Marcella. She’s seventy and half the size of Geno but she bosses the both of them around as she teaches them how to cook and plant herbs and tomatoes and limes in their backyard and tries to teach Sid how to have a better accent then kicks him out to play with her dozen grand kids when she decides he’s hopeless.

They invite her over for dinner and she tells Geno about her daughter, she’s about his age and beautiful and single and she gives Geno a _look._

Geno shoves the empanada in his mouth and holds his hand out palm up on the table until Sid lays his own over it.

He links their fingers together and Marcella rolls her eyes and tells them she figured she could at least try then asks about dessert.

They don’t kid themselves into thinking that they’ll be safe here forever.

There have been close calls. Sid swears he’s been followed home from the market on several different occasions and Geno is tucking away pesos and weapons in different parts of the house and Sid has a two bug out bags ready to go inside the closet by the front door.

But for now Geno picks limes off the trees and Sid brings home fresh fish and at the end of the day they watch the sun set over the water.

Sid kisses the scar on his temple and Geno kisses his knuckles and right now they’re happy.

That’s all that matters.


	19. Present

Geno’s briefcase feels heavy in his hand as he walks up the steps to his house.

He hasn’t been home in two weeks and he misses his bed and shower and Sid.

The house is warm and there’s music playing from the kitchen and Geno doesn’t even take the time to take his coat off before stalking back through the house to find him.

Sid has his back to him and is stirring a pot on the stove and Geno keeps his footsteps as light as he can as he crosses the room and stands behind him.

“You miss me?” He whispers in his ear, arms wrapping around his waist.

Sid leans back and rests his head on his shoulder. “More than anything.”

“I scare you?”

Sid rolls his eyes. “I could hear you come in. This house so big that it echos.”

Geno pinches his side and finally slips his coat off his arms and drapes it over the back of the chair.

“Hate being gone so long.”

“You love to travel.”

“With you,” Geno says, wrapping his arms around him again and kissing the side of his neck. “Go on vacation somewhere warm with you. Conference rooms in Columbus not so fun.” His arms squeeze Sid a little tighter. “Shit. Forgot to get you something. Should have brought home a present.”

“From Columbus?”

“Gift shop in hotel,” Geno explains. “Bring back a magnet or maybe a t-shirt.”

“You can bring me one next time.”

Geno hooks his chin over his shoulder. “Don’t want to think about next time. Just got home.”

“I know.” Sid pats his arm then wiggles free. “Luckily for you I got you a present.”

“I was the one that left.”

Sid simply winks and grabs the pot of sauce off the stove. “Wash your hands, it’s time for dinner.”

They eat with their hands loosely tangled together and Sid’s ankle hooked around his own.

“Are you ready for your present,” Sid asks as Geno helps him clean up.

Geno looks up from the dishes he’s rinsing. “Thought dinner was present.”

Sid gives him an unimpressed look. “We haven’t seen each other in two weeks and you think all you’re getting is dinner?” He shuts the faucet off and sets the plate in his hand down in the sink then takes his hand. “Come with me.”

Geno eagerly lets himself be led into the living room and with the lights down low Sid guides him down onto the couch.

Geno stretches along the back of the couch as Sid pulls his shirt over his head and drops it to the floor. He pauses at the button of his jeans.

“You sure you’re ready for this?”

Geno lets his legs splay open in response and Sid shakes his head and rolls his eyes but pops the button anyways.

It’s always a good show watching Sid wiggle out of his jeans but what he sees when Sid finally peels the fabric away makes Geno sit up straight.

Sid’s forgone his usual black boxer briefs in favor of red lace panties that are painted onto his body, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Sid’s hands flex by his side and when Geno finally drags his eyes up his body, getting stuck on the cut of his hips and his abs and his chest, his cheeks are flushed and his bottom lip is caught between his teeth.

“Does this look okay? Is it too much? I ordered them online and I just….I didn’t open the box for three days because I was so embarrassed but I thought you might like it and-.”

“Sidney.” Geno reaches out and pulls him in by his hips. He places a series of kisses on his skin ride above them, moving from one side to the other. Sid buries his fingers into his hair. “The best,” he sucks a wet kiss into his skin below his bellybutton. “Best thing I’ve ever seen.”

Sid’s hands slide out of his hair to his shoulders and Geno groans at the space that Sid places between them.

“You haven’t seen the best part.”

“Can’t get better, Sid.” He tries to pull him back in but Sid twists away and turns around.

There’s a light pink bow right at the small of Sid’s back, right at the swell of his ass.

“Like a present,” Sid says over his shoulder and Geno actually growls when he pulls him back onto his lap. “You know they come in more colors.”

Geno slips his hands beneath the fabric and Sid arches up into the touch.

“Order more tomorrow.”

Sid nods frantically and pulls him in for a sloppy kiss.

Geno has missed this.


	20. Flutter

The first thing Sid sees when he opens his eyes is Geno standing in front of the window, looking out into the backyard, with a steaming cup of tea in his hands and sweatpants low on his hips.

His wings are tucked against his back.

Sid clears his throat before he says “hey.”

Geno turns to him as he dips the tea bag in and out of the water and gives him a shy smile.

“Morning,” Geno says, gaze darting between the mug and Sid’s exposed chest. “Sleep well.”

“Yes. Have you been up for awhile.”

“No. Just got up. You looked nice sleeping so I just go downstairs.” He tips his head towards the window. “Snowed last night.”

Sid props himself up on his elbow and tries to peer out but then quickly gives up and pats the bed next to him. The snow will still be there when he officially gets up but he needs Geno next to him now.

Geno takes the hint and folds one long leg under himself on the edge of the bed. His hand is very warm from the heat of the mug when he puts it on the side of Sid’s face before he kisses him.

Last night had been a lot of first for them.

Geno had invited him over for dinner, only dinner, but that led to them watching a movie and drifting closer on the couch until they were thigh to thigh with the backs of their hands touching.

That led to a kiss and another one after that and Sid climbing onto Geno’s lap with his hands beneath Geno’s shirt.

Geno had stopped him with his fingers around Sid’s wrists and whispered that he had something to show him.

Sid sat on Geno’s bed, breath coming out in quick bursts as Geno slowly undressed.

His hands had lingered on the hem of his tight undershirt and refused to make eye contact.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s….hard to explain. Wouldn’t believe so.” He took a deep breath and pulled it off.

Wings, twice the width of Geno’s shoulders and extending halfway down his waist. They’re as black as night and tinted with gold. Beautiful.

“I always knew,” Sid had said, voice full of awe. “I knew there was something different about you.”

Geno looked ashamed and embarrassed and started to put his shirt back on but Sid was quicker and pulled him between his legs.

“No,” he said, hands winding their way up Geno’s body. “I mean you’re special.” He held eye contact and waited for Geno to nod before he brushed his hands through the feathers and breathed out a laugh. “You’re incredible.”

Geno had held onto both sides of Sid’s face and kissed him until Sid leaned back on the bed and pulled Geno with him.

Now Geno slows the kiss down and pulls away with a sigh.

“You should come back to bed,” Sid says and Geno sets the mug down on the bedside table.

He lays Sid back against the bed and Sid holds him close.

His wings extend and flutter around them.


	21. Hoodie

The first time Geno leaves his hoodie at Sid’s place Sid doesn’t notice until it’s too late.

He’s standing on the edge of the blacktop with a thermos full of shitty teachers lounge coffee as a bunch of hopped up fifth and sixth graders work off their energy on the playground.

He yawns and takes another sip.

It tastes burnt but it’s all he has.

He shouldn’t have stayed up so late on a school night but he only has himself to blame.

Himself and Geno with his large hands and heavy accent who sucked bruises into his collarbone and left sometime in the middle of the night with a kiss to Sid’s shoulder and a quiet goodbye as Sid pretended to be asleep.

Geno has a game in Winnipeg tonight and one in Los Angeles the day after tomorrow.

They don’t have plans to meet up again. They never do.

It just happens.

Like that first night they met in a bar downtown. Geno had bought him a drink and passed it from the bartender to him and let his fingertips linger against Sid’s where they overlapped.

Ten minutes later they were making out in the hallway and twenty minutes after that they were inside the door of Sid’s apartment rubbing off against each other.

It was quick and messy and good enough that Geno asked for his number looking down at him with his hooded eyes and Sid gave in easily.

He hadn’t really expected to hear from him but a few nights later Geno texted and asked if he could come over.

Sid gave in easily that night too.

That was three months ago and Geno comes over at least twice a week.

“You’re a big Malkin fan, huh?”

Sid jumps and almost drops the thermos.

“What?”

Mr. Reed nods at Sid’s shoulder.

Sid immediately covers his collarbone with his hand like Mr. Reed, the fifty seven year old art teacher who always smells like hemp and incense can see the hickeys beneath the fabric and he knows who they belong to.

“Am I what?”

“A Malkin fan,” he asks again. “That’s a nice sweatshirt.”

Sid looks down at the Penguins logo on the front and the 71 printed left side of his chest.

He picked it up off his bedroom floor this morning without looking because he slept through his alarm and then pulled it on when it was time for his recess duty but this isn’t his sweatshirt.

“That’s a nice one too,” Mr. Reed says. “I thought they only made those for the players. Where did you get it?”

Sid pulls it away from his chest. “Um. I don’t-.”

There’s a thud and a wail coming from the playscape and when they look up there’s a kid laying under the monkey bars and crying and Mr. Reed swears under his breath and takes off.

A few of the other teachers crowd around while one of them radios for the nurse and Sid takes the refuge in the chaos and slips back inside the building and straight to his office where he takes it off and jams it into his bag.

 

-

 

Geno calls him as he’s making dinner and Sid picks up the phone with olive oil on his hand.

The hoodie is still in his bag, wedged between a stack of quizzes on floor hockey and carefully thought out dodge ball teams to ensure the least amount of misery for some of the lesser athletically inclined students.

He eyes it as Geno tells him about the flight and the city.

“You going to watch tonight?”

The game starts at 10pm Sid’s time. “It’s late. I’m already kind of tired.”

“Oh yeah.” The teasing tone to his voice makes Sid roll his eyes. “Tired you out, huh.”

“It was a school night. I had to be up early. I spend the day teaching a bunch of children how to kick a soccer ball. It’s tiring.”

“You were asleep when I left.”

“No I wasn’t.”

Geno’s silent for a moment and then says “Could have said goodbye then.”

Sid doesn’t know what to say for the second time in less than twelve hours.

“You left your sweatshirt here,” he blurts out. “I wore it today on accident.”

“Really?” Geno sounds interested.

“Yeah. I picked it up this morning without looking at it and wore it out for recess duty. One of my co-workers pointed it out to me. I guess it’s a special one they only give to players so he asked where I got it.”

“What you say?”

“I didn’t have to say anything. A kid fell off the monkey bars and pulled focus.”

“Oh my god.”

“It’s okay. The kid is fine. I don’t think it was even a sprain but that was a close one, huh?”

“Yeah,” Geno says slowly.

“So do you want me to mail it to you or something?”

“Why you do that? I just pick it up next time I see you. Maybe pick you up too. Take you out.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Take you to dinner,” Geno says like it’s obvious.

“You want to eat first?”

“Would be nice.”

Silence stretches.

The chicken he’s cooking is starting to smoke in the pan.

Geno’s sweatshirt is still in a ball in his work bag.

This is not what they do.

“How about Thursday,” Geno says. “Know it’s school night but want to see you. Maybe take you to bed earlier this time.”

Sid laughs. That’s more like it.

 

-

 

On Thursday Sid changes his outfit three times and feels more and more like a fool each time he pulls a new sweater over his head.

Geno had said that it would be casual, which is really all that his wardrobe can afford, but casual for a multi millionaire and an elementary school gym teacher are two different things.

It’s a relief when he shows up in jeans and a t-shirt looking good enough that Sid completely forgets the sweatshirt that he left draped over the back of the couch as a reminder until they’re halfway down the hallway.

“Shit.” Sid stops and winces.“I forgot your hoodie.”

“Leave it,” Geno says as he pushes the elevator button. “I’ll get it later when we come back.”

“Pretty presumptuous that you think dinner is going to be good enough that I invite you back.”

It’s meant to be a joke but Geno doesn’t seem to take it that way when his eyes darken and he puts a hand on Sid’s hip to push him back against the wall to kiss him, tongue sweeping inside his mouth with practiced ease.

Sid clutches at his shoulders until the elevator dings open beside them and Geno pulls back.

Sid lets his hands drag down Geno’s chest until his fingers are tucked into his waistband.

“Let’s skip dinner.”

“Not hungry anymore?”

Sid rubs his thumb slowly over the zipper of Geno’s jeans and looks up at him through lowered lashes.

“Not for food.”

Geno laughs. “Worst line, Sid.”

Sid slips out from Gen’s arms and smiles when Geno’s footsteps follow him down the hall. “Maybe so,” he calls over his shoulder, “but it worked.”

Sid fumbles with the key as Geno kisses his neck from behind.

Later they eat cereal by the light from above the stove in nothing but their boxers.

Geno puts his spoon down and reaches for Sid’s hand.

“Should go.” His thumb is rubbing over his knuckles. “Getting late. You need to sleep. Like old man.”

Sid throws his head back and groans. “I get up early. I teach children. They take a lot out of me.”

Geno hums and brings his hand up to his lips. “Next time we actually go out to eat.”

“There’s nothing wrong with cereal.”

Geno shakes his head while he stands and ruffles Sid’s hair as he makes his way back to the bedroom for his clothes.

He kisses Sid goodbye, long and slow, while Sid is still sitting at the kitchen table with his feet propped up on the opposite chair.

“See you later.”

“Sure.”

Geno gives him a soft smile and Sid returns it with a wave before he closes the door behind him.

Before Sid goes to bed he turns the lamp out on the table beside the couch and swears.

Geno’s hoodie is still over the back of the couch.

 

-

 

A few days later Sid opens the door with the hoodie in his hands.

He thrusts it out towards Geno as soon as he opens the door but Geno is standing there completely drenched from the rain.

His hair is messy and damp and his shirt is plastered to his body and Sid drops the hoodie in favor of making grabby hands at Geno.

Geno steps right over it and backs Sid up to the kitchen table.

“Bedroom,” Sid mumbles between kisses.

“Too far,” Geno answers him as he pushes just a bit more to get Sid further back on the table.

Geno’s shirt sticks to his body and he drops with a wet thud to the floor.

They make it to the bedroom for round two and three and Sid wakes up around midnight when he feels the bed dip next to him.

He watches Geno dress with his arms thrown under the pillow.

“Don’t forget your sweatshirt,” Sid says as Geno zips and buttons his pants.

Geno pauses for a moment then leaves over the bed to kiss Sid’s cheek.

“See you,” he says and Sid nods and rolls over to sleep before Geno’s out of his bedroom.

In the morning he’s sore in the best way and extremely satisfied and that’s the best way to start a day.

But then he sees the hoodie on the hook by the door and all the good feelings fade away.

 

-

 

Geno is always quiet after a loss and Sid doesn’t have the heart to bring up the sweatshirt as he leads him back to his room.

They’ll be time later.

He tastes like the soap from his post-game shower as Sid kisses his inner thigh and bites at the soft skin, immediately soothing it with his tongue.

It doesn’t get the usual reaction of out Geno and Sid frowns, his hand slowing down on Geno’s cock.

“Are you okay?”

Geno nods but doesn’t look away from the ceiling.

“Geno.” He takes his hand away completely and Geno’s hips jerk to chase the feeling.

When he finally looks down at him his eyes are watery and Sid doesn’t know what to do except reach for him.

Geno knocks his hands away and wipes at his eyes.

“Fine. I swear. Just don’t stop….I need….please. Please, Sid.”

Sid soothes a hand down his thigh and squeezes his knee.

Geno keeps his eyes closed as Sid bobs between his thighs.

His hands are closed into fists and his fingernails are cutting into his palm and Sid moves his own hands from where they’re braced on Geno’s hip to uncurl them.

Geno’s eyes fly open as Sid strokes over the half moon indents then tangles their fingers together.

Geno comes a few minutes later with Sid’s name on his lips.

“Feel better,” Sid asks and Geno nods then drags Sid up his body to kiss him as he works a hand between them.

Afterwards Geno dresses right away.

“You know you don’t have to leave right now. You can stay.”

“Should go.” There’s an edge to his voice that’s never there.

“Are you okay to drive?”

“Yes, not a good enough fuck to mess me up that bad.”

Sid reels back and Geno flinches.

“Sorry. Get mean when I lose sometimes.” He looks up at Sid with tired eyes. “Don’t mean it.”

“You know you can talk to me, right?”

“Bad game is all. Hard.”

“Are you sure?”

He nods and sits down on the edge of the bed so he can put on his shoes.

Sid reaches out and touches his back. Geno leans back a fraction of an inch into it. It’s all Sid needs to apply more pressure and move his hands along the tops of his shoulders.

“Haven’t been playing well lately,” he admits. “Got me worried.”

“It’ll be okay.”

Geno laughs a little. “Easy to say.”

“I know you will.” He kisses the side of Geno’s neck. “You should stay for awhile. Take a nap.”

Geno sighs. “I think I’m going to go. Not good company right now.”

He slips out of Sid’s arms and doesn’t kiss him goodbye when he leaves.

In the morning the hoodie is still there.

 

-

 

Sid gets a cold in the middle of February.

He’s miserable and stuffed up and and hasn’t heard from Geno for weeks and that’s why, in a cough syrup induced haze, he grabs the hoodie and pulls it over his head.

It still smells like Geno and he flops onto the couch and falls asleep with his nose tucked into the collar.

He’s drinking orange juice on his third day of missing school and trying desperately to actually taste it when Geno calls him.

He almost drops his glass in his haste to answer it.

“Sorry I haven’t called in awhile. Been busy. Games starting to matter.”

“It’s okay,” Sid says.

“Sound awful.”

“I have a cold so if you were thinking about coming over right now isn’t the best time.”

“How long have you been sick.”

“Couple of days.”

“Couple of days? You been to doctor yet? Have medicine?”

“It’s just a cold. I’m trying to rest up. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few days.”

Geno doesn’t sound convinced but lets the conversation end easily enough with a “talk to you soon.”

Sid really should have expected the knock on his door a half an hour later and shouldn’t be surprised at all to see Geno on the other side holding a plastic bag from CVS.

“Got you things,” he says when Sid steps to the side and lets him in. “Cough drops, syrup, snacks, soup. What you want first? Should have soup. Got it from my favorite Russian place. Always makes me feel better. Where you keep your pots?”

He really looks at Sid for the first time and stares.

“How long you wear?”

“What?”

Geno nods and Sid remembers that he’s still wearing his hoodie. He’s barely taken it off since he put it on.

“Oh god.” He feels his face turn hot from more than just the fever and reaches down to pull it off but Geno steps into his space and stops him. “You probably want it back.”

“No, Sid. You like?”

“It was warm and I was cold,” he says as he pulls it back down his body. “I missed you, I guess.”

Geno gives him a fond look. He’s about to lean in for a kiss when Sid sneezes and Geno jerks away.

“Gross, Sid.”

“I told you so.”

Sid eats the soup in bed with Geno lying beside him flipping through an old Sports Illustrated magazine.

He starts to drift off before the last bite and is barely awake enough to feel Geno take the empty bowl from him and pull the covers up to his chin.

He feels a lot better when he wakes up.

His sinuses are clear and his head doesn’t ache and Geno is still sleeping beside him on top of the covers.

Sid moves gently out of the bed so he doesn’t wake him and when he gets out of the shower he’s still snowing softly.

He doesn’t wake until Sid closes the closet door.

“Is it morning,” he asks and the rough rumble of his voice makes Sid’s heart clench.

“Yeah. I’m about to leave for work.”

Geno nods and moves to stand up but Sid shakes his head and tells him to stay.

“Just go back to sleep. It’s still early.”

“You feel better?”

“A lot better. Thank you for coming over.”

“No problem.”

“You might get sick.”

Geno shakes his head. “Russian. Never get sick. Not in our blood.”

“Mmmhmm.” Sid sits beside him on the bed. “You’re going to have to give me your address so I can bring you soup on the off chance that you do.”

Geno squeezes Sid’s thigh. “Should come over sometime. I make you dinner.”

“Can you cook?”

“Maybe I order in dinner.”

Sid laughs and kisses Geno’s temple. “Lock the door behind you when you go.”

Geno catches his hand. “Serious. Come over.”

Sid shakes him off and holds up Geno’s sweatshirt. “I have to wash this before I get it back to you. It’s disgusting.”

“Sid, don’t worry.”

“I’ll bring it with me to your place, how about that?”

Geno looks at him for a long time before he nods.

 

-

 

“I have a problem.”

Flower looks up from the boxes craft supplies in front of him. He’s covered in glue and green glitter and Cheerios for some reason.

“Door is open, Sidney. Come on in.”

He’s sitting in one of the small kid’s chairs and he nods to the one across from him even though he knows Sid won’t fit comfortably on it.

Sid wheels Flower’s desk chair around instead and Flower smirks but doesn’t call him on it.

“I have this friend-.”

“The friend is you.

“The friend is you,” he says without looking up from a construction paper candy cane from months ago. “Continue.”

Sid sighs. “I’m kind of seeing this guy.”

Flower’s face lights up. “You never told me you were dating someone. Is it serious?”

“No. It’s not serious, we’re not dating. We’re just friends who sometimes get together and-.”

“You’re fuck buddies.”

“Marc,” Sid hisses as he looks around the empty room. “You can’t say that. Look at where we are.”

“In an empty classroom. The walls don’t have ears, Sid. When the kids are gone they can’t hear us. What’s the problem?”

“He left his sweatshirt at my place and he won’t take it back.”

Flower blinks at him. “What?”

“He won’t take it back. It’s like he purposefully forgets it and I told him I would bring it to his place and he got all weird about it. I don’t want this thing in my apartment anymore.”

“It is just a sweatshirt.”

“No it’s not. It’s about what the sweatshirt represents. First it’s this sweatshirt and then it’s a pair of shoes and then a shirt or pants and then finally, someday, he realizes that he’s wasting his time with me and I’m left with all of this stuff or or worse, I have to watch him come take it away.”

“Why do you automatically assume that would happen?”

“Because he’s better than me.”

“Sidney.”

“I’m not feeling sorry for myself, he is. He could have anyone. It’s stupid to think he could ever want more than what it is now with someone like me. He’s important.”

“You’re important. Everyone is important.”

“You can cut the bullshit,” Sid says, “I’m not a seven year old who needs reassurance.”

“We all need reassurance sometimes,” Flower sing-songs. Sid flicks a Cheerio at him.

“I feel like he keeps trying to make this into something more,” Sid admits as he stares down at his hands. “It’s going to end at some point. I don’t want it to destroy me when it does.”

“You really like him, don’t you?”

Sid nods. “He brought me soup when I was sick.”

“It sounds like he likes you too. There’s no point in jumping to conclusions, Sid. Thinking the worst will get you no where. Talk to him.”

Sid groans.

“Don’t we always tell these kids to use their words?”

“And almost none of them listen so why should I?”

“Sidney.”

Sid stands and pushes the chair back to his desk. “Fine. You’re right. Are you happy now?”

“Extremely,” Flower says with a huge smile on his face. “So. How rich is he?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“Is he sugar daddy rich? Sid, do you have a sugar daddy.”

“I’m really not answering that.”

“Does he have any rich friends that might be interested?”

“You’re married.”

“You know what this job pays, I’m sure Vero would be on board with it.”

 

-

 

Geno’s house is large and intimidating and Sid sits in his unimpressive car with the hoodie and a loaf of french bread in his lap for a full five minutes before he works up the courage to ring the doorbell.

He’s half expecting a butler to open the door but it’s just Geno, barefoot in ratty sweatpants and smiling at him.

“Find okay? Thought you would never come in.”

“You could see me out there?”

Geno points above the front door. “Camera. Was starting to get worried. Thought maybe you change your mind.”

“No, I just….” He thrusts the bread and the sweatshirt out to him. “This is for you.”

Geno graciously accepts the bread but frowns at the sweatshirt.

“Didn’t have to bring this.”

“I did.”

“You know I was leaving on purpose. Want you to have.”

“I know it’s just a sweatshirt for you but it’s starting to mean more for me and I think it’s best he we set some boundaries.”

“Boundaries? Sid-.”

“I guess I’m okay with keeping this completely casual. If that’s how it has to be I’ll deal.”

“Sidney.”

“But I can’t go out with you to dinner. That’s too much.”

“Sid, you think I want casual? Haven’t wanted casual for a long time.”

“You’re only going to think that until you find someone better.”

“Where I’m find better than you?”

“Anywhere,” Sid says. “It’ll happen. You’ll find someone with money like you or a nice house or car. Someone that will fit.”

“Maybe you find better than me. Someone who is around more or doesn’t get mad when he loses a hockey game or knows how to cook instead of catering.”

“I don’t care about any of those things.”

“But you think I do? How shallow, Sid?”

“It’s not your fault. I just want you to have the best.”

“I think you’re the best. Want you.”

“You’re going to change your mind.”

Geno drops the sweatshirt and the bread to the floor and cups Sid’s face in his hands.

“Mind made up, Sid.” He kisses him. “It’s you.”

 

-

 

“Sid, where my shoe?”

“Look under the dresser,” Sid calls from the kitchen and Geno drops to his hands and knees to swing an arm beneath the dresser. It doesn’t take along before his hand bumps into his sneaker. When he looks up Sid is standing in the doorway. “Have you seen my jacket?”

Geno sits back on his heels. “Which one?”

“The black one.”

“Have to give me more. Have lots of black ones.”

“The black one with the the zipper that goes halfway up.”

“Only narrows down a little. Know I saw one in the laundry room at my place yesterday. Could have been that.”

“Dammit,” Sid says as he pulls open the closet door and takes another jacket out. “What about my Pens shirt?”

“Couch in my den. What about my blue dress shirt, you seen that?”

“Living room. I haven’t seen my Pirates jersey in awhile.”

“Think that’s in my bathroom.”

“Blue sneakers?”

“Spare room.”

“Brown belt?”

“In the kitchen over the chair.”

“Sid. This is stupid. Too much stuff going missing.”

“It’s not missing it’s just somewhere else.”

“Is dumb. Should move in.”

“We already talked about this.”

“Been a year, Sid. More of your stuff at my house than here. Need to….you know….combine.”

“Consolidate.”

Geno snaps his fingers. “Yes, that. Put everything together.”

Sid stands over him and rakes his fingers through his hair.

“Think,” Geno says, “fall asleep and wake up together. Most important.”

“That does sound nice.” Sid curls his fingers around the edge of Geno’s ear.

“You saying yes?”

Sid drops a kiss to the top of his head. “I’m saying yes.”


	22. Selcouth Ficlet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Selcouth](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12265710)

When they kiss for the first time in front of all their friends and family and with silver bands on their fingers a bolt of lightning snaps across the sky.

Everyone gasps and looks up but Sid stares directly at Geno.

“Heat lightning,” he says with a shrug. “Not dangerous. Just you know….flashy.”

Geno puts his hands on the side of his face and Sid leans into the feeling of the cool metal against his skin.

He knows things are about to heat up.

 

-

 

The weather in Fiij is almost unbearable.

They sweat through their clothes as soon as they step outside and the clear blue water has steam rolling off of it.

“Can't help it.” Geno is sitting on the bed as Sid looks out over the ocean and wipes the sweat off the back of his neck with his hand. He reaches out and snags the band of Sid’s shorts with his finger and draws him in, presses his face to the small of his back. “Could be worse. Could be snowing.”

Sid twists and pats his damp hair as Geno bites and licks at his abs. Sid moans and pushes him back on the bed before climbing on top and they get sweaty for a different reason.

 

-

 

Benjamin is born in January.

The sun burns so bright it’s hard to go outside and the six inches of snow on the ground melts within minutes leaving deep puddles in the hospital parking lot.

Sid’s foot is hovering above one, too excited and nervous to pay attention to where he’s stepping, when Geno cools the air enough to freeze it.

He slides a bit and Geno drops the giant teddy bear he’s holding in order to grab him.

“You couldn’t do that, like, all over could you?” Sid asks as he picks up the bear.

Geno shakes his head and holds his hand over his heart. “Can’t Sid, just…” He can’t find the words in Russian or English. He’s overwhelmed by the love that’s rattling around in his chest and he can’t control a thing.

“Okay.” Sid’s hand joins his own over his heart. “It’s okay.”

 

-

 

When the nurse brings him in wrapped in a blue and white blanket Geno holds his arms out and Sid spares a look out the window half expecting to see the world on fire.

Instead the sun seems to dim and white puffy clouds dot the sky. Ice starts to form on the edge of the window.

Things are shifting back to normal.

Geno is cooing down at Ben who’s squishy and pink and doesn’t even have his eyes open yet.

Sid sits on the arm of the chair and rests his chin on the top of Geno’s head.

“Beautiful,” Geno says softly. “The most beautiful thing.”

“I know,” Sid agrees and gently touches his fingertip to Ben’s cheek. It’s the softest thing he’s ever touched. “You have everything under control?”

Geno nods.

“Everything perfect right now, can’t think about anything but him.”

He shifts Ben into the crook of his arm so he can hold Sid’s hand and gives it a squeeze.

“You and him.”

Sid holds Ben on their way down to the car and stands inside the double doors as Geno brings the car around.

It’s starting to snow when he pulls up.

They buckle him in and softly close the door, trying their best not to wake him and Sid stretches up to kiss Geno soundly on the lips.

Flakes swirl around them, each one in the shape of a heart.


	23. Leaf Pile & Fire Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of [Sugar Shack](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11504697)

Sid looks up from the soapy dishwater and smiles.

Geno is doing his best to rake the leaves into a neat pile and Pavel, with a sudden burst of puppy like energy, is barking and running through them, making them fly everywhere.

Geno tips his head back and Sid imagines him swearing in Russian as Pavel jumps forward and bites at the rake, like he’s encouraging him to keep going.

He pulls the rake away and points a finger at Pavel.

Pavel’s tail wags so quick it looks like a blur and he crouches down and barks again.

He laughs as Geno rakes a pile of leaves over the dog and Pavel rolls onto his back so Geno can rub his belly.

Sid dries his hands on a dish cloth then reaches for his wedding ring on the windowsill.

By the time he makes his way outside with two mugs of hot cider Pavel has tired himself out and is lying beneath the tree, panting and happy, and Geno has raked most of the leaves into a waist high pile.

Sid leans against the deck railing and takes a sip from his mug. “Now what are you going to do with it?”

Geno doesn’t stop raking or look up, just simply says “jump” and Sid starts to laugh. “You ever do that when you were little?”

“Of course,” Sid says. “All the time.”

His father would get the leaves together and he and his sister would take turns jumping in as his mother took pictures from the deck for the family photo album.

Those albums are still tucked away in the attic out of sight but not out of mind. Maybe one day he’ll drag them all down and he and Geno will flip through them together. Maybe they’ll add their own photos of kids playing in the leaves in between the ones of him and Taylor. Curling up on the couch under a blanket with hot chocolate and the animals at their feet. They’ll add photos of Geno’s parents and tell them about their grandparents and press real leaves between the pages.

“What you thinking about?”

Sid blinks and Geno’s standing in front of him. The rake is leaning against the tree and Sid hands the other mug of cider to him over the railing.

“Nothing really.”

Geno hums and takes a sip. “Maybe try again.”

Sid drops his forearms against the railing and leans forward. “Just thinking about kids.”

Geno cups his hands around the mug to warm them and waits.

“Thinking maybe it might be time to get one.”

Geno nods once. “Yeah. Okay. Put on shopping list and pick up next time we in town.”

Sid groans and Geno holds the mug in one hand and reaches out with the other, getting his foot on the slight overhang of the deck and pulling himself up so he’s standing toe to toe with him, railing between them.

“I’m surprised that held you.”

“Deck make it through one more winter then we fix in spring. So,” he says, tone changing just slightly. “Kids.”

“Yeah.”

“How many?”

Sid shrugs. “Enough for a hockey team.”

Geno laughs and kisses his temple. “Okay, Sid.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Always want big family and with you.” He kisses his forehead. “Want everything.”

Sid smiles and leans forward to tuck his head beneath Geno’s chin and takes a deep breath. The faintest hint of Geno’s cologne works it’s way through the sweat and autumn air and dead leaves.

It’s perfect. He’s perfect.

“Come on,” Geno says, one broad hand moving back and forth on his back. “Take shower, start fire, watch movie. “Tomorrow we start planning.”

Sid steps back enough for Geno to hop over the railing and takes his hand.

Before they get to the door Sid kisses him, full on the lips.

That’s perfect too.


	24. Scarfs

Geno’s booth is still empty at 6:30.

Sid bites at his thumbnail and frets.

He’s usually here by now, holding coffee and looking sleepy and ruffled and unpacking his hand knitted scarves and mittens as he asks Sid about his latest crop of apples or pumpkins from across the aisle, slowly getting more animated as the caffeine kicks in.

By the time the market opens at seven he’s completely awake and ready to greet the public with a warm smile and fights off the chill on even the coldest of mornings.

Sid doesn’t have a way to get a hold him. Doesn’t have his number or address or anything like that. _They’re not like that._

They’re acquaintances at best and Sid realizes with a start that Geno could have dropped out of the market and Sid could never see him again.

It might be better this way, he thinks as he makes sure the bottles of honey are in a perfect line for the fifth time. He was in too deep anyways and this crush that he was harboring would have only gotten worse if Geno stuck around and asked Sid question after question about what apples were the best for what and begged him to show him pictures of himself in full beekeeping gear.

Sid has a crush now but given time he knows it would tip towards love and he’s too busy to deal with a broken heart when Geno would inevitably tell him about his girlfriend or boyfriend and how they live happily on their twenty acre alpaca farm.

He sighs and picks out a golden delicious that’s a little soft at the top. People tend to avoid those anyways. He’ll eat it with his lunch later on.

“It’s fine,” he says softly to himself and tries like hell to believe it. Eventually he will get over it.

He doesn’t have much time to mourn a life he never had before Geno is tearing around the corner and calls his name.

“Sid, oh thank god you here.” He’s weighed down by all goods and there’s a ball of yarn that’s popped out of the bag and dragging behind him and when he stops to pick that up a pair of mittens falls out and he’s stuck in the middle trying to pick them both up before he looks at Sid with a truly pathetic look on his face.

“Hold on,” Sid says as he walks around the table to meet Geno in the middle of the aisle. The yarn is wrapped around his legs and it takes him a good thirty seconds to untangle it.

“Thank you,” he says as he hoists everything up on the table and checks his watch. “So late. You help me set up?” Geno looks behind him at Sid’s booth. “You all set with your stuff, can help? Don’t want to take you away.”

“It’s fine, really. I’m all set.” He grabs a handful of mittens all in warm earth tones and sets them out on the table. “I was actually getting worried about you,” he admits.

Geno freezes with his folding chair halfway out of it’s bag. “Didn’t mean to do that. Just running late is all.”

“I know. I was just worried that maybe you stopped coming or something.” He feels stupid for admitting it until Geno reaches out and sets his hand on Sid’s forearm.

“Wouldn’t do that. Think I just leave and not say goodbye? We’re friends, Sid. Would never. I overslept is all. Date last night.”

“Oh.” He drops the hats he’s holding next to the mittens and wants nothing more than the return to the relative safety of his own booth.

“Bad date. First date. Won’t have another.”

Now he at least knows Geno is single. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Date start okay, you know, nice guy, maybe a little bit boring but dinner was good. We leave parking lot after and get into accident.”

“Are you okay?”

Geno nods. “Yes. Just a fender bender but the way he reacted….was accident, you know. Call cops, give insurance, not a big deal. Acted like it was the end of the world. Felt so sorry for the guy who hit him and then, afterwards, he act like everything is fine. Think I go back to his house with him. Can’t be with someone so hot headed. Not my type.”

“Yeah,” Sid agrees and it’s on the tip of his tongue to ask ‘what is your type’ but bails last second to grip the scarf he’s holding and says “this is really soft.”

Geno’s whole face lights up. “Yes. Alpaca better than sheep. So much softer and warmer and last longer too.” He eyes the thin fleece scarf around his neck. “Should at have better scarf.”

Sid’s fingers fly to where it’s knotted at the base of his throat. “This one is fine.”

Geno shakes his head and reaches into his bag. “Is not fine,” he says as he pulls out a scarf in alternating red and cream stripes. “Canada colors, right?”

“Yes.”

Geno shakes the scarf at him. “Take. Made for you, special.”

“You did not.”

He rolls his eyes and comes around the table to stand in front of him. “I see you first time and think, he needs something soft. Always so serious.” He tugs Sid’s scarf free from his neck, knuckles brushing his skin and loops the new one around. It already feels warmer. “Want to do something nice, know you’re Canadian. Start to work on this.”

“Are you going to give me a friends and family discount?”

“Is gift, Sid. No charge.” His hands linger by the sides of his face. “Maybe you should come over sometime. Meet alpacas. Very cute, very friendly. Would like you.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. Maybe stay for dinner too. You know, like a date.”

Sid takes a deep breath and Geno’s hands fall back to his side.

“If you want,” Geno says and Sid nods his head enthusiastically.

“Yes,” he says, “a date. I would love that. Hopefully it goes better than your date last night.”

“Can’t be bad, Sid, it’s you.”

Sid ducks his head and tries to hide his blush behind the softness of the scarf.


	25. Fingertip Kiss

Most days Geno hates the media.

He hates how reporters twist his words and make a story out of nothing.

He and Phil are fighting or Sheary is struggling or Sid’s a hockey robot.

The last one is what really pisses him off.

Sid loves hockey and he loves this team. He’s the best and wants to remain at the top of his game so of course he’s going to spend his time thinking about it.

That doesn’t make him a robot.

If any of these reporters spent more than the five minute media scrum with him they’d see that Sid is quick witted and unbelievable kind and a complete idiot because right now he’s at the kitchen table acting like he’s going to practice when he has a terrible cold.

Geno dips the tea bag into the water and angles his travel mug away from Sid as he sneezes four times into the crook of his arm.

His voice sounds thick and foggy when he says “we should probably get going soon. We’re going to be late.”

“Sid. Can’t be serious.”

“What?” He sniffles. “I’m driving so the twenty minute drive is going to take the whole time. I can’t make it there in ten like you do.”

“Not about that. You’re not going to practice.”

“What are you talking about? I have to-.” He pauses and coughs. “I have to go.”

“Not when you’re sick.”

“I can’t miss it, G. I miss practice and it’s a story. It’s _Sid Crosby is too old to keep up with the pace of the hockey season_ or some bullshit like that.”

Geno shrugs. “You are getting old.”

Sid kicks him beneath the table.

“Or maybe it says _Sidney Crosby, responsible captain doesn’t give whole team the plague.”_

“I don’t have the plague.”

“Maybe not now. You take today off and rest and it won’t turn into that. Just one practice, Sid. Not a big deal.”

“But it _will_ be.”

“I won’t let it. Tell everyone you decided to take a day off because you’re sick of their shit. Much bigger story than little cold.”

Sid laughs then clears his throat like he’s trying not to cough again. “Just don’t say anything. I’ll be back out there tomorrow.” He pushes himself up and doesn’t hide the way he winces with a body ache.

“Good. You go back to sleep and I come home with medicine.”

“I don’t need medicine,” he grumbles and when he bends down for a goodbye kiss Geno moves his head away. “What?”

“Don’t want you getting me sick.”

“If I’m sick that means you’re going to be sick. It’s just….manifesting inside you right now. Give it a few days.”

“Don’t need extra help then.” Geno waves his hand at him. “Upstairs. Get better then you can kiss.”

Sid catches one of Geno’s hands and frowns down at it before bringing it up to his lips and kissing each one of his fingertips before letting go.

He’s known Sid for over a decade but he still finds little ways to surprise him.

Sidney Crosby is not a hockey robot. But maybe that’s something the media will never get to see.


	26. Shoulder Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Sugar Shack](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11504697)

Sid wakes up to a blaring alarm and an empty bed.

He grumbles into his pillow as he turns the alarm off then throws his arm over the indentation that Geno’s body has made in the mattress.

They’ve only been sharing a bed for a little over a month but Sid loves how everything is already beginning to mold and shape around him.

The dip in the mattress, Geno’s shoes lined up beside his own inside the door, his clothes on hangers in the closet.

Luna isn’t lying across his feet and Pavel isn’t stretched out on his dog bed which means they’re downstairs with Geno waiting for him to toss something into their bowls while he makes his breakfast.

He gets himself up and hisses when his feet touch the cold floor. The pre-autumn air has chilled the house and they’ll have to start thinking about bringing in wood for the stove.

He gets his feet into his slippers and rubs at his eyes as he walks down the stairs.

He can hear Geno before he sees him.

Sid has picked up a bit of Russian over the years but he’s not getting any of this. It’s too low and quick but the timber of it is warm and comforting and he leans against the railing for a moment just to listen to it.

The bottom step squeaks when he puts his weight on it and it gives him away. There’s a pause in Geno’s speech before it begins again and Sid shuffles around the corner and into the kitchen.

Geno has his back to him as he stands by the toaster. He’s in old jeans that are worn in the back and a new white t-shirt that stands out against his still summer tanned arms.

Luna and Pavel are at his feet. Pavel is waiting as patiently as he can, tail thumping against the floor and Luna is twirling her way through Geno’s legs.

“Freeloaders,” Geno says as Sid wraps his arms around his waist from behind and rests his forehead against the middle of his back right between his shoulder blades. The shirt is brand new, a little stiff and smelling like the plastic package that he took it out of. It won’t last long.

He reaches for a second coffee mug then covers Sid’s clasped hands with his own.

“Don’t do any work,” he continues. “Still think they deserve treat in the morning. Should cut them off.”

Sid hums.

Geno talks a big game but he knows it’ll never happen. Pavel will get half a slice of toast covered in peanut butter and Luna will get a piece of bacon that Geno has cooked up and left in a container in the fridge just for her. It’s like clockwork every morning.

“Clingy today.” He squeezes his hands. “Like cat and dog.”

Sid lifts his head just enough to press a kiss to the back of his shoulder. “I don’t like waking up alone.”

“How you survive so long without me?”

“I don’t know,” he answers, sounding brutally honest and Geno twists in his arms so they’re chest to chest.

He puts his hands on his face and tips it up so he can kiss him.

“Should go back to bed,” Geno says against his lips, “forget about farm.”

Sid laughs. They have so much to do today. They’re in the heart of apple season and they need to start picking pumpkins and Geno convinced him to adopt baby goats so now there are a handful of kids running around that need attention or he’s afraid they’ll grow up to be just like Gordie.

“Would be nice,” Sid muses and Geno kisses him one more time.

“Maybe someday. We retire.”

It’s a joke. One they pass back and forth when there is three feet of snow on the ground and they need to check on the chickens or when it’s one hundred degrees out with no cloud coverage and they have to pick strawberries. They joke about endless beaches and crystal clear water where they’ll never have dirt beneath their fingernails or sweat sticking to their backs. Warm days and cool nights.

If he thought Geno really wanted that, he’d pack a bag and go right now.

But Geno loves this place as much as he does. It’s his home and all the hard work that goes along with it is worth it.

The toast pops up and Pavel gives a happy bark. He’s been conditioned to know what happens next.

Sid pours them both a cup of coffee as Geno spreads peanut butter on the bread and hands it to Pavel then goes to the fridge for the bacon, pinching Sid’s side as he walks away.

Sid takes a sip and watches the sun just start to break over the horizon out the window above the sink.

They start their day.


	27. Calloused Hands and Warm Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on this[beautiful art](http://honeycombhenry.tumblr.com/post/165739602662/rural-au-rural-au-ya-boy-eugenes-got-a-bushel)

It’s a warm day in mid-September when Geno meets Sid for the first time.

Geno trips over nothing at the sight of him and slaps his hand against the side of the fruit stand to steady himself and fumbles the basket of apples he’s carrying.

It tips over when it hits the ground and honeycrisps go rolling everywhere.

Geno swears under his breath and bends down to pick them up as he curses his luck.

He’s usually better than this. He climbs up and down ladders picking apples all day and has never missed a step.

One brief look at a handsome man has him stumbling all over himself.

“Are you okay,” a voice asks and Geno closes his eyes and shakes his head because his hope that maybe he’s gone unnoticed have just been dashed.

“Am fine,” he says as he reaches for the last apple tucked against the side of the stand.

A hand gets there before his and when he looks up he falls in love.

The man is even better close up with summer tanned skinned and eyes that remind Geno of fields of golden wheat swaying in the breeze.

“Clumsy,” he says as the man picks up the apple and places it on top of the rest in the basket. He keeps his hands up like he’s about to stop them from falling out again when they both get to their feet.

“Sorry,” he says.

“Why you apologizing?”

The guy laughs and lifts a hand to rub against the back of his head. The sleeve of his t-shirt strains against his arm.

“I don’t know,” he says. “Sorry.”

They both laugh and he holds out his hand.

“I’m Sid.”

Geno shifts the basket to his hip and takes it.

“Geno.”

Sid is new to town and just moved into the house right down the street.

“Been so busy,” Geno says as he hoists the basket onto the table between the granny smith and the empires, “didn’t even notice the sign was down.”

“I’ve been busy too or else I would have been here sooner. I always drive by on my way to and from work and you’re so close….I always think about stopping by after dinner but after teaching a bunch of sixth graders all day I’m kind of tired.”

“Kids can be hard.”

“They’re great, though,” Sid says quickly. “The beginning of the year is always crazy.”

“Sure,” Geno says, heavily distracted by the lock of hair that’s curling around Sid’s ear. “But you’re here now. What can I help you with?”

Sid looks down at the row of baskets. “I don’t know. Which one is the best one?”

“All of them the best one, Sid. Every apple from my orchard is the best. You want something for eating or baking?”

“I don’t really bake.”

“No. You should. Lots of fun. Late in the day now so all my pies are gone-.”

“Do you bake,” Sid interrupts.

Geno glows. “Yes. Make best pies. Put one aside for you next time I make them, if you want.” He casts a sidelong look at Sid as he picks the best honeycrisp out of the basket. “Or maybe you come over sometime and I bake you a fresh one.” He hands the apple over and nods at him to take a bite.

“What do you think,” Geno asks when he does.

Sid chews and swallows.

“I think I’d love to come over.”

“I’ve never lived somewhere so small and quiet before,” Sid says after dinner on Monday night.

He showed up with the sleeves of his button down rolled up to the elbows and the top few buttons undone. There was dust on his shoes from the walk up the drive and he hesitated just inside the door like he didn’t know if he should take them off or not.

“Track muddy boots all through the house, Sid. Whatever you want.”

Sid nodded and slipped his shoes off and followed across the wood floor in light purple socks.

They moved to the porch after dinner and Geno lit a few citronella candles to help fight off mosquitoes and ducked back inside to prepare dessert.

“There are only fifteen kids in my class,” he continues as Geno gives him a plate with a generous slice of apple pie on it.

“My town back home small but not like this,” Geno says he sits down in the rocking chair beside him.

“Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes. Nice here though. More space. Air is cleaner. Nicer neighbors.”

Sid is poised to take his first bite, fork loaded with apples cooked with cinnamon and nutmeg and sugar surrounded with a buttery crust. His lips are parted and his cheeks are flushed pink at Geno’s obvious compliment.

Sid ends up eating two slices and only puts up a little fight when Geno offers to wrap up a few more for him to take home.

“Take to school. Tell your teacher friends to come buy from me.”

“They probably do already,” Sid says as he bends down to work his foot back into his shoe.

It’s awkward with the pie in his hand and Geno lets him struggle in silence for a moment before he laughs at him.

Sid laughs back and swats at him with his free hand a mumbles ‘shut up.’

“Can hold pie for you.”

Sid holds it tighter and finally wiggles his foot into his shoe and stands up.

Geno wishes he had the confidence to kiss him. Thankfully, Sid seems to be brimming with it because he puts his free hand on his chest and leans up.

“This okay,” he asks, lips almost brushing.

It gives Geno enough boost to lean forward and close the distance.

Sid tastes a little bit sweet and a lot like future plans.

Sid stops by everyday after work and kisses him over half empty baskets of apples and they tell each other about their days.

It’s not hard to talk him into leaving his car at the end of the driveway when Geno closes up for the night and take him back to the house for dinner.

They hold hands as they walk back. The fireflies that dance in the tall grass that lines the driveway light their way.

Sid usually leaves before it gets too late.

“We both have to be up early,” he says as he moves back in for one more kiss, fingers curled into the hem of Geno’s shirt.

“See you tomorrow,” Geno says as he kisses him one more time, holding him close and making it count.

Geno is fine with going slow.

On the weekends he shows Sid around the farm. He takes him to meet the chickens and the goats on Saturday and teaches him how to make pie on Sunday afternoon as the sun streams through the kitchen window.

“You did a good job,” Geno tells him as he scrapes his plate clean.

Sid is done, has been for awhile, and the second Geno puts his fork down he takes the plate from him and kisses him.

And kisses him and kisses him and kisses him until Geno puts both hands on Sid’s face and rests his forehead against his own.

“Getting late, Sid. Have school tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Sid says as he pulls Geno’s hands off his face but doesn’t let go of them. He steps back, dragging Geno with him. “So we should probably go to bed right now.”

Sid is beautiful in the sun.

He’s even better in the moonlight.

He falls asleep fast with his arms stretched out beneath the pillow.

Geno stays awake for as long as he can and traces the shadows in the space between his shoulder blades with the tip of his finger.

Geno wakes up forty five minutes before Sid does.

He takes a shower and gets breakfast going and gets to see Sid come down the stairs in a t-shirt that’s too tight across the shoulders. It’s a view he never gets tired of.

Geno raises his eyebrows over his mug of tea.

“I couldn’t find mine,” Sid says as he pulls the fabric away from his stomach. “You get up really early.”

“Have lots to do today. Sit. Made you breakfast.”

Sid waits until the last possible moment before he has to leave and even then he hesitates in the doorway.

“Go, Sid, you’re going to be late. Know you hate that.”

He nods then looks up the stairs.

“I’ll find your shirt,” Geno assures. “Know where you live. You’ll get it back.”

“I know, I don’t care about the shirt…I just.” He closes his mouth and takes deep breath through his nose.

Geno gets up from the kitchen table. “Sid? Okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m great,” he says with a smile. “I love you. I know it’s too soon and I might be stupid for thinking you could ever feel the same way about me but-,”

Geno kisses him hard enough to knock him off balance and Sid has to cling to his shoulders to stay upright. He peppers Sid’s face with kisses until Sid explodes with laughter.

“I have to go, really. I hate it right now but I do.”

“It’s okay.” Geno kisses the tip of his nose. “Have to come back and get your shirt.”

Sid finally disentangles himself long enough to get the door open and slip out.

Geno watches him as he walks down the steps.

He turns on the last one and smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> [Come talk!](https://secret-sidgeno-writer.tumblr.com/)


End file.
